The Riverside County Board of Supervisors has allocated $7.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund emergency shelter projects in the county, a Board of Supervisors press release said. The investment will facilitate the establishment of eight new housing projects distributed across all five supervisorial districts, resulting in the addition of 241 emergency shelter beds—a 28% increase.
"We need to create as many opportunities as possible to address the needs of families who are experiencing homelessness in our county," Second District Supervisor Karen Spiegel, a member of the Homeless Continuum of Care Board of Governance, said in the news release. "This investment is building our system's capacity so individuals in crisis are not turned away because of space shortages."
The project supersedes the prior target of increasing shelter beds by 25% outlined in the county's five-year Homeless Action Plan, the county said in the July 11 news release.
Emergency shelter beds serve as vital transitional spaces from street homelessness to permanent housing, playing a crucial role in preventing individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time from ending up on the streets, the Board of Supervisors said in the release. Often, this is an opportunity for individuals to also benefit from essential supplies and services, such as case management and assistance in resolving their homelessness, the county said.
"Housing is a critical tool we need for our unhoused residents here in Riverside County. Each of these projects will expand our existing infrastructure and support individuals who are struggling with a housing crisis," Heidi Marshall, director of the County of Riverside Department of Housing and Workforce Solutions, said in the news release.