Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) has announced a donation of $7.5 million to a new homeless center in Palm Springs. The funds are expected to cover a budget shortfall for the project.
According to an IEHP press release, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the Palm Springs Navigation Center at its meeting on January 23. The center is scheduled to open in the summer of 2024 and will be located at 3589 McCarthy Road in Palm Springs.
The press release from IEHP further explains that the donation will be used to develop, rehabilitate, and reconfigure the layout of the property. Once completed, the center will offer transitional housing for up to 120 people and services such as hygiene, health and wellness, education and employment, and intensive care management. “Once opened, the center will provide round-the-clock services to homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness or experiencing housing insecurity,” said Takashi Wada, IEHP’s chief medical officer.
Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez expressed his satisfaction with this development. “I am really pleased this funding will help this campus reach the construction finish line and soon begin providing holistic help for our unhoused residents,” Perez stated. He further highlighted that this effort was led by his office in collaboration with Riverside County Housing and Workforce Solutions Department and in partnership with the city of Palm Springs.
The press release from IEHP also notes that both IEHP and Riverside County’s Housing and Workforce Solutions have been partners in a program aimed at increasing social and economic opportunities in Riverside County. Known as the Department of Health Care Services’ Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program, it allows health plans from around the state to earn incentive funds towards solutions for homelessness, housing insecurity, and other social determinants of health.
