Site Selected, But Work Just Beginning for Homeless Committee
The Coachella Valley Association of Governments Homeless Committee made history at its last meeting by selecting a site for the valley's western "Multi-Services Center" for the homeless.
That site is located north of Interstate 10 at 19533 McLane Street in North Palm Springs, just west of Indian Avenue. The purchase price of $4,720,000 includes a 41,000 square foot building on just over three acres. Improvements to the site will hike the overall price tag to almost $11,000,000.
Now, the Homeless Committee takes that selection to the CVAG Executive Committee on October 29 to get its endorsement. Then the work really begins, as the Homeless Committee's "Finance Subcommittee" starts work on financial strategies to fund construction and then operations once the facility is in place. Local cities will be asked to help share the financial burden.
The Subcommittee will also identify a lead agency.
On a related note, CVAG is working on a homeless bus pass program with Sunline Transit Agency that will make the homeless center a more viable project. If you can't get there, what good is a homeless shelter anyway? With adequate passes, both daily and monthly, the homeless will be able to hold down a job and get back and forth.
CVAG is receiving contributions from member agencies and others to pay for the passes, and, while they're short of their goal, they have already established an account which has substantial resources earmarked for bus passes.
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