U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) recently announced that federal funding has been secured for homeless facility expansion projects in Lake Elsinore and Palm Springs in the pending Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill.
"The homelessness crisis impacting California requires a variety of solutions from all levels of government," he said in a press release. "I’m thankful that cities throughout the 41st Congressional District are taking proactive steps to expand shelter capacities and roll out services to assist homeless individuals."
"These funds will help them in those efforts," he said. "We simply cannot accept the reality of having people living on our streets."
The bill, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee and is making its way through the House of Representatives, is for Fiscal Year 2024, beginning on Oct. 1, Calvert said in the news release. Approved local funding requests by members of Congress do not raise the overall spending level of the bill, he said.
This bill provides a discretionary total of $90.2 billion, which is about $8 billion less than what was requested by the Biden administration and about $3 billion less than what was allotted for Fiscal Year 2023, according to a press release from Novogradac, a professional services organization.
The homeless facility expansion in Lake Elsinore will receive $3 million to build a new homeless facility in Lake Elsinore, Calvert said.
"The $3 million secured by Rep. Calvert to expand Lake Elsinore’s homeless facilities will have a major impact on our ongoing efforts to reduce homelessness,” said Lake Elsinore Mayor Natasha Johnson in Calvert's news release. “The expansion will build upon our success with the city’s existing homeless facility, the Anchor, and provide additional resources to help eliminate homeless encampments in the city.”
Another District 41 project that will receive funding is the Navigation Center Project in Palm Springs, which will receive about $2 million to complete the construction of the Palm Springs Navigation Center, which will provide services to the city’s homeless population.
Palm Springs City Manager Scott Stiles said he had met with Calvert earlier this year to discuss the infrastructure needs of the city and, in Calvert's news release, thanked Calvert for “advocating on behalf of the city and its residents.”
Calvert was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992. He has previously represented the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th districts. He has already announced that he is running for reelection in the 41st District, according to Ballotpedia.