Homelessness

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.

City officials are under pressure to do more to address the homeless situation in Palm Springs, which has been growing considerably worse since the start of the pandemic

Eight of the 30 people contacted were offered resources such as substance abuse and mental health counseling, as well as help finding housing by the Riverside County Crisis Response Unit and the Coachella Valley Rescue Mission.