Homelessness

Law enforcement officers can now remove unhoused people from airport property, encouraging them to seek assistance but ultimately letting them know it’s against the law to linger unnecessarily.

Results from the county’s annual Point-In-Time-Count of people living on the streets, conducted Wednesday, won’t be known for weeks. Most experts expect to see an increase.

A new ‘focused deterrence strategy’ will not resemble a sweep, Police Chief Andy Mills said, but will show that ‘there is a consequence for your actions in Palm Springs.’

The newly-opened shelter will operate out of a building off El Cielo Road. Some worry it’s too close to the airport, which has seen an influx in unhoused residents residing on the property.

The county sends out hundreds of volunteers to count unhoused people every year. This creates a snapshot of the homeless population in the county and helps county officials advocate for funding and services. 

Community leaders, elected officials, and the public have been getting a preview of the project courtesy of its architect, city and county officials, and others involved in seeing it to fruition.

Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court is designed to help people with serious mental illnesses, including about 14% of those without housing here. But both supporters and critics are pointing out its potential flaws.

The announcement Wednesday was the latest move forward for the project. In June, city leaders voted to approve an agreement with a Los Angeles-based firm to provide architectural and design services.

City officials say Building C was originally supposed to be a residential facility, but design requirements laid out in grant funding rules say residential facilities must have features the building currently doesn’t have.

The city has struggled for years to address the homeless epidemic that was exacerbated by the pandemic. The navigation center is seen as an opportunity to offer long-term solutions.