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Residents, regional partners praise Desert Hot Springs cleanup; regional groups note housing progress
Summary
Public commenters at the Jan. 20 council meeting thanked the city for recent encampment cleanup work that removed large volumes of debris, raised concerns about ongoing trash and homeless encampments, and highlighted regional affordable-housing progress including a major state funding award for Park Lane Homes.
Several public commenters addressed environmental cleanup, code enforcement and housing at the Jan. 20 Desert Hot Springs council meeting.
Will Steichen, identified as a resident and a staff member with the Coachella Valley Association of Governments and the Coachella Valley Conservation Commission, thanked the city for coordinating a cleanup of conservation land that involved code compliance, police, animal control and regional partners. Steichen said crews removed more than 260,000 pounds of trash, about 30 abandoned vehicles, hundreds of tires and some hazardous waste and credited the city and regional partners for dismantling encampments without enforcement actions.
Kathy King, who identified the location of concern as the wash between Avenida Altiloma and Monte Rico Road off Mountain View, asked for help addressing trash and a nearby homeless encampment; she said she has requested a cleanup through public works and asked for a follow-up meeting with city staff.
Barbara Valadez urged code enforcement to address problems with a neighbors property (tenant-operated business and excessive outdoor trash) and asked staff to help clarify residentsrights.
Ian Gabriel, director of Collective Impact at Lift to Rise, described regional affordable-housing work and invited council members to action-planning sessions scheduled for Jan. 28and 29; Gabriel said the region is tracking more than 9,700 affordable units underway across the Coachella Valley and that more than 1,100 of those units are in Desert Hot Springs. He also noted that Park Lane Homes recently received more than $30 million from the state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program, a competitive award that staff discussed later in the agenda.
City staff and council acknowledged the comments, and staff said they would arrange follow-up meetings where requested.
