The city of Coachella celebrated the groundbreaking this week for a new affordable family apartment community in Pueblo Viejo District.
Low-income families can look forward to 108 new units when the community named Tripoli is completed, a milestone anticipated in December 2024, a City of Coachella Facebook announcement said. The site is located near city hall and the public library on what is now a vacant lot in the area of Tripoli Avenue.
"Our values in the city of Coachella has really been to build housing for all," Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez said at the June 7 event. "It doesn't matter if you are on the lower end of the economic spectrum or if you're on the higher end of the economic spectrum. We want to make sure that Coachella has a housing option for you."
To help make this housing a reality, local nonprofit Raices Cultura made a donation toward the construction on behalf of Chelsea Investment Corporation, the affordable housing developer. Presented at the ceremony, the gift was accepted by Executive Director Marnie Navarro and Board Chair Jocelyn Vargas.
Other funding for the $63 million project has been realized through funding efforts on the local, county and state levels, Hernandez said in a News Channel 3 report. Beyond the construction of the facility, this money also will fund enhancements like sidewalk and street-level work.
“Cost of living has gone up, rent has gone up, food prices, gas prices, everything has gone up and everything, but it's the leadership out of Coachella that's really valued affordable housing and made it a priority,” Hernandez said, according to News Channel 3.
Families can begin making their applications in September 2024, and 10 of the Tripoli apartments will be dedicated to those who have family members with disabilities. Affordable housing applicants must meet income requirements and will have their names placed on a waiting list for when the project is completed, Alex Earl of Chelsea Development Corporation told News Channel 3.