Tune in monthly for an update on the development and progress of the Palm Springs Navigation Center.

June 2023

May 2023

April 2023

March 2023

February 2023

January 2023

December 2022

November 2022

October 2022

September 2022

A. A homeless navigation center provides wrap-around services for homeless individuals, including those who may have lived on the streets for long periods of time. The Center offers a continuum of care that includes a safe, stable, and healing environment that leads to a permanent home. Homeless residents are able to access a wide array of services they need to move forward in their lives. Services include physical and mental health services, employment and      educational services, substance abuse and disability services. Still a relatively new concept in the treatment of homelessness, the centers throughout the state have proven successful and have been a benefit to their communities.

A. Martha’s Village & Kitchen, a highly respected nonprofit organization based in Indio will be responsible for the operation of the Navigation Center. The Center will provide on-site access to social services, behavioral health services, medical/dental services and workforce development. Martha’s has utilized the proven successful “Housing First” model in providing the Coachella Valley with homeless housing and wrap-around services since its inception in 1990 and will continue to use       this model in Palm Springs. Martha’s Village & Kitchen is well known for connecting homeless individuals quickly and successfully to the appropriate housing and supportive services needed to move them into permanent, stable housing.

A. Palm Springs is a small city facing a significant homeless population. Short-term, shelters, are a short term response that result in short term solutions. An effort to find a long term solution, which is a stable, permanent home, demands a strategic response. Once the homeless are stabilized with a roof over their head and the supportive services they need, the outcomes are dra matically positive. For example, in Martha’s Kitchen’s experience, they have an enormously high 84%     success rate of moving homeless into permanent housing. It takes all the services that the new navigation center has to make that happen. Martha’s Village & Kitchen’s 84% success rate is one  of the best percentages of any provider in the country and the City of Palm Springs is proud to partner with them in this new navigation center, which is expected to serve as many as 400 people a year.

A. The City did consider a number of sites throughout the City and selected 3589 McCarthy Road. The only other land considered was on Ramon Road near the airport, but it was more expensive and not large enough to sustain the Center concept. This particular parcel has the necessary size that is needed for the entire navigation center plan. It is 3.64 acres and includes three standing buildings, totaling 46,000 square feet. Additionally, the City will not need to build required structures from the ground up, saving critical time and money. The land’s large existing pad also creates the opportunity to build 80 units of modular housing with each unit having the required bed, window, bathroom and privacy. A large commercial kitchen will also feed only the residents. Many government grants fund these initiatives and this parcel allows the city and County (a funding and services partner) to fulfill all government housing requirements.

A. The short answer is no. Low-income housing, including mobile home parks, are located throughout the City. The northern part of the City has recently seen a strong growth in upscale housing as well as new affordable housing projects. Studies show that economically integrated communities thrive. With the Navigation Center, the northern area of the City is a showcase for this kind of community.
Eventually, the Center will become a key component of service not just to its clients but the neighboring community, offering volunteer opportunities as well as employment and educational opportunities to mention a few… that will  be shared with neighbors.

A. Services provided will include:

• Assistance obtaining permanent housing and housing, and/or program placement.
• Assisting individuals with securing health insurance/benefits, disability, Social Security, and other benefits.
• Assistance with job and employment related services, skills training and application assistance.
• Coordinate access to other support services like cash and non-cash benefits.
• Case management to clients based on their individual needs and desires.
• Family reunification program.
• Transportation assistance.
• Assistance with food stamps, birth certificates, and identification cards.
• Vouchers for clean clothes and laundry service.
• Utilization and management of Homeless Management Information System.

A. The cost of the property is $5.9 million. The City plans to contribute $5.3 million from a $10 million state grant it received in June 2020. This funding will be used to provide supportive services, operation and maintenance at the McCarthy Road site. The County, in turn, will provide $7 million in funding.

A. It is estimated it will cost $2.6 million annually to operate the Navigation Center.

A. The overall goal will be to connect homeless individuals quickly and successfully to the appropriate housing and services needed to move them into stable housing.

A. Martha’s Village & Kitchen is required to provide security 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Similar to the safety protocols at the Palm Springs Access Center operated by Martha’s, clients will not be allowed to loiter outside the facility; security staff will monitor daily and report incidents of loitering; there will be a 24-hour contact number visible and available to the public to report any disturbances or issues related to the facility; and video surveillance cameras will be installed at the facility.

A. No. The Navigation Center will provide meals only for its residents. This will not be a food distribution site for the homeless.

A. The projected opening of the Navigation Center is TBD.

A. Volunteer, by filling out the application form, or a monetary donation to Martha’s Village & Kitchen is always appreciated: https://marthasvillage.org/contact/volunteer/