PS Navigation Center a good first step in addressing homelessness

Now that the Palm Springs Navigation center is partially “open” there can be no more delays – it must get done, fast. And once the hard hats are put away, that’s when the real work begins.

The first phase of the facility for people experiencing homelessness officially opened last week with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting at the early entry facility on McCarthy Road.

The house was packed in an indication of how closely watched progress has been in the community on this hot-button issue.

The facility has already begun providing shelter to homeless residents; currently, there are 50 beds open.

It’s an impressive testament to collaboration between the city officials, the Palm Springs Police Department, Riverside County, Martha’s Village and various community partners who worked together to bring this glimmer of hope to life.

To date, over $40 million has been secured for the creation and operation of the campus, with $18 million from the county, $8.16 million from the City of Palm Springs and a Homekey Program award of $16 million from the State of California.

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

The rest of the center, which is intended to provide a full range of “wraparound services” aimed at helping people transition out of homelessness and into affordable and stable housing, is still being constructed and is set to open in August 2024.

Kudos to the city for getting the vision aligned among so many different partners. It’s a solid, tangible start – but this is very far from addressing the solution to homelessness.

The City of Palm Springs has lacked a permanent homeless shelter since Roy’s Desert Resource Center closed in 2017, leaving two facilities in Indio as the nearest shelters.

Looking at Roy’s as an example, the city must be working to secure the necessary ongoing operational funding even as they complete building out the rest of the center.

While the opening is certainly a marker of progress, now is not the time for city leaders to rest on their laurels. This is a huge undertaking and one that has only just begun.

Coming up with an anticipated yearly $2.6 million budget of operating costs is a whole other story.

Martha’s Kitchen and Village is the right manager for the center – the city should let the experts at Martha’s take it from here. While the government agencies can continue to put their efforts into keeping this going, Martha’s has the system down pat – their expertise and human approach is truly a gift to the valley.

Here’s a quick rundown of our editorial board’s questions around the Palm Springs Police Department’s involvement in the center, as well as how people can sign up – and a spokesperson for the city’s answers.

Question: How does the city and the PS Police Department plan to work with neighboring communities?

Answer from spokesperson for the city: The Palm Springs Police Department collaborates and is in constant communication with our neighboring communities. In addition, PSPD collaborates with the city’s communications team and ONE-PS to keep the community informed about the development of the Navigation Center – and the final phase as it comes online.

Q: Will the Palm Springs Police Department be working with other police departments to coordinate efforts in a regional capacity?

A: Each city is responsible for their own outreach to their unhoused residents, but as mentioned above, PSPD collaborates and is in constant communication with neighboring law enforcement.

Q: Will people be able to access the facilities if they are picked up in a neighboring city? Or they must be from Palm Springs?

A: They do not need to be from Palm Springs. However, they must first go to the Access Center on El Cielo Road to be entered into the system to receive services at the Navigation Center.

Q: And how will they show proof of residence if so?

A: There is no residency requirement.