Oct. 30 Daily Briefing: Housing moves, help for food insecurity, bat warning, and more

Happy Thursday, Happy Halloween Eve, and Happy “Hanksgiving” — the birthday of our mentor and biggest fan, Hank Plante! It’s also the birthday of our colleague Maggie Miles, who we hope is celebrating on the beach someplace in Mexico. If you’re up for a party to celebrate any of the above, might we suggested heading to VillageFest tonight. The annual Haunted Circus is taking place starting at 6 p.m., featuring trick or treating, a pumpkin patch, a haunted bus and much more.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.

LEADING OFF

Council moves Gene Autry housing project forward, postpones homebuyer program

The Palm Springs City Council approved an affordable housing development near the airport last week while postponing a first-time homebuyer program after Section 14 descendants requested more input.

Driving the news: At its regular meeting on Oct. 22, the council voted to begin negotiations with West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation for Mission Juniper, a 203-unit affordable housing project on city-owned land near Gene Autry Trail.

• The development would include 156 family units and 47 senior units for households earning up to 60% of area median income, with completion targeted for late 2028.

The big picture: Mission Juniper carries an estimated $80 million to $85 million price tag funded through state, county, federal and private sources. The city would contribute surplus land through a ground lease and receive $40,000 annually in lease payments, totaling more than $5 million over 30 years.

What happened: The council tabled action on a separate first-time homebuyer assistance program after extensive public comment from Section 14 survivors and descendants seeking greater involvement.

• Speakers questioned how funds would be distributed, whether assistance would be structured as loans or grants, and how descendants living outside Palm Springs would qualify.

By the numbers: The proposed program would provide up to $200,000 in down payment assistance for households earning up to 140% of area median income, with a $750,000 cap on eligible homes.

• The program would initially reserve 20% of funding for Section 14 survivors and descendants for the first 60 days.

What’s next: The homebuyer program is expected to return in December or January after staff conducts additional outreach to the Section 14 community.

Read the full story online

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BRIEFLY

🍽️ City, Mizell Center direct residents to food resources amid SNAP cutoff

• The city of Palm Springs and Mizell Center are alerting residents about local food assistance programs as SNAP recipients face a benefits cutoff next week due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. CalFresh (SNAP) payments will be delayed starting in November as the shutdown enters its fourth week.
  
• Recipients can still use existing benefits, submit required forms to keep cases open and apply for or manage benefits at BenefitsCal.com or by calling 1-877-410-8827. Medi-Cal and CalWORKs are not currently affected, though that could change if the shutdown continues.
  
• Getting help: Local food resources include the Mizell Center Senior Nutrition Program, which serves low-cost lunches Monday through Friday from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. You can find assistance at FIND Food Bank and the LGBTQ Center of the Desert Community Food Bank. Additinoally, residents can call 2-1-1 for assistance.

🩺 Nurses to strike over staffing concerns

• Registered nurses at Tenet Healthcare’s Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs will join 3,100 nurses at four other Tenet hospitals across California for a one-day strike today over patient safety and staffing concerns. 
  
• At Desert Regional Medical Center, nurses say the hospital is using an emergency staffing waiver on a continual basis in the neonatal intensive care unit, cutting staffing below state-mandated ratios and even sending nurses home. 
  
• Bottom line: Nurses are demanding guaranteed meal and rest breaks, improvements to recruitment and retention, lift teams for patient transfers, and safe staffing at all times.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Preschool and Baby Story Times
10 a.m. | Library at Rimrock Plaza
Children’s Librarian Nancy reads stories, sings songs, and shares early learning concepts each Thursday unless otherwise noted.

Unbridled Spirit
11 a.m. | Hotel Zoso
The LGBTQ+ History & Archives of the Desert presents its major exhibition for this fall, Unbridled Spirit: Celebrating 35 Years of Leather in Palm Springs. The exhibit will explore the significant impact of the leather community on the cultural and social landscape of the Coachella Valley over the past 35 years. 

Inland Empire HIV Planning Council Meeting
12:30 p.m. | DAP Health
Join us for a lively meeting where ways to support the Inland Empire HIV community will be discussed.

Gelato-A-Go-Go Ribbon Cutting
1 p.m. | 190 East Tahquitz Canyon Way
Gelato-A-Go-Go brings the taste of Italy to Palm Springs with handcrafted gelato made fresh daily using traditional techniques and high-quality ingredients. 

Art Museum Free Admission
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Art Museum 
Enjoy free admission to galleries and exhibitions, and explore the collection at your own pace. 

VillageFest
6 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs  
The street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food. 

Leather Women Celebrating Our Sexuality
6:30 p.m. | Hotel Zoso
In conjunction with the exhibit Unbridled Spirit, the Archives will present a free lecture featuring a panel of five women and a moderator discussing women’s sexuality and their role in the Leather community.

Evil Dead The Musical
7 p.m. | Revolution Stage Company
When five college students find themselves trapped in a cabin in the woods, accidentally unleashing evil forces, what could go wrong? ($28)

The Inheritance Part II
7 p.m. | Cultural Center
Inspired by E.M. Forster’s “Howards End” The Inheritance is an epic examination of three generations of gay men struggling with survival, healing, class divide and what it means to call a place home. ($42)

Witch Please!
7 p.m. | Cultural Center
Join the trio of terror,  Billy L’Amour, Deven Green & Handsome Ned, for “Witch Please!” a Halloween comedy and music show that will have you spitting cobwebs and cackling yourselves into a ghastly frenzy. ($45)

View all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Pride on the Page, an LGBTQ book festival, on Saturday
  
• Kevin McDermott Human/Nature exhibit at Janssen Artspace on Nov. 7
  
• Interfaith Pride Kabbalat Shabbat on Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m.
  
• Palm Springs Pride 5K Run & Walk on Nov. 8
  
• West Side Story in Concert benefit for Dezart Performs Nov. 13-15
  
• Palm Springs Hospitality Golf Tournament on Nov. 14
  
• Coachella Valley Filipino Festival on Nov. 15
  
• Gregory Douglass LIVE at Revolution Stage Company on Nov. 16

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AND FINALLY …

Just in time for Halloween, Riverside County health officials have a timely reminder: while costumed bats may be part of the festive fun, real bats deserve a wide berth. The county has reported 18 rabid bats so far this year — up from 15 in all of 2024.

Driving the news: Riverside University Health System — Public Health is urging residents to take precautions after the uptick, emphasizing that rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop and that bat bites can be painless and leave no visible marks.

What to do: Officials recommend never touching or handling bats, keeping pet vaccinations current, sealing home entry points that could allow bats inside, and avoiding contact with wild animals like skunks, raccoons, foxes and coyotes.

• If you’ve had any interaction with a bat, wash the area immediately with soap and water and seek medical care for a post-exposure vaccination assessment.

The pet angle: All dogs in Riverside County must be licensed and vaccinated against rabies starting at 4 months of age. The County Department of Animal Services offers low-cost vaccinations by appointment at shelter locations.

More information: Visit this website or call Riverside University Health System — Public Health Disease Control at 951-358-5107.