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Thursday, July 17-July 23, 2025
VOL. 9, 11,
NO. 232
As homelessness increases, Riverside council OKs $1.96M for more shelter space
Moreno Valley receives $25.3M for SR-60 roadwork
By Joe Taglieri
By City News Service
T
he Riverside City Council on Tuesday approved nearly $1.96 million for additional dedicated shelter beds to address increasing homelessness in the city and county in recent years. The nonprofit Path of Life Ministries, or POLM owns and operates a 24-hour, 90-bed community shelter at 2840 Hulen Place in Riverside that offers three meals a day, a secure environment and case management, according to a city staff report. POLM and the city of Riverside first partnered in 2005 when the shelter moved into the campus on Hulen. The initial agreement called for 15 dedicated beds for Riverside residents provided free of charge, with the city responsible for providing case management for the 15 shelter residents. But as Riverside County and city experience increasing homelessness during and since the coronavirus pandemic, the newly approved funding will increase dedicated shelter beds for Riverside residents to 45, along with eight beds reserved for "transitional aged youth" living unsheltered in the city, according to the report. The agreement is for fiscal year 2025-26 that runs July 1 to June 30. "The city of Riverside, along with the entire county, is witnessing an increase in homelessness due to affordable housing shortages and other social constructs which compound homelessness," the Riverside Housing and
joet@beaconmedianews.com
Volunteers from CBU School of Music do beautification work in 2021 at the Path of Life Ministries shelter in Riverside. | Photo courtesy of Path of Life Ministries Community Shelter/Facebook
Human Services Department reported. Staff recommended approval of the funding "to meet the needs of our houseless neighbors in ... Riverside by purchasing dedicated emergency shelter beds and assist POLM with their FY 2024/2025 Emergency Shelter Program operations funding gap." The funding is from state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program and will serve at least 270 single adults and 48 transitional aged youth,
based on an average 60-day length of stay with the possibility of an up to 90-day extension to accommodate move-in dates for permanent housing. Path of Life operates the only emergency shelter in Riverside that serves single adults, officials said. The organization's "specialized focus and expertise uniquely position them to meet this specific community need ... to provide the city with dediSee Shelter space Page 13
cated shelter beds reserved specifically for Riverside residents." No other service provider controls "an appropriate facility within the city capable of housing emergency shelter beds for single adults," city staff reported, adding that "failure to contract with Path of Life would result in a critical gap in emergency shelter services for single adults, increasing the risk of homelessness and related public safety concerns in the city. The lack of alternative providers would hinder the city’s ability to meet urgent housing needs." Riverside’s homeless population increased marginally in 2025, with 614 unsheltered individuals this year and 605 counted in 2023, according to the city. Officials said the latest point-in-time count results show success toward slowing the increase of people living unhoused, as prior counts showed. The number of people living without shelter spiked to 605 in 2023 from 307 in 2022. The point-in-time count in January 2020 found 587 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Riverside, a 34% increase from the previous year and more than a quarter of unsheltered homelessness countywide, city officials reported. “These data clearly show that our efforts are having a real impact, and we’re moving in the right direc-
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oreno Valley has received a $25.3 million state grant for an interchange improvement project involving state Route 60, officials announced Saturday. The grant from the State of California Trade Corridor Enhancement Program is meant to secure the right-of-way for the State Route 60/World Logistics Center Parkway Interchange Improvement Project as part of a larger initiative in Southern California and the Inland Empire, officials said. "The improvements enabled by this grant will help to enhance safety, relieve congestion and reduce travel time for everyday commuters and truckers alike, building a safer, stronger, and more connected community," Moreno Valley Mayor Ulises Cabrera said. "We extend our gratitude to Caltrans District 8, CTC, and all our local, state, and federal partners who helped make this possible." See SR-60 Page 23
Poetry event aims to raise awareness of fentanyl crisis By Staff
A
poetry event later this month is set to be the latest installment of an ongoing exhibition that aims to call attention to the persistent problem of substance use disorders and the devastating impact of fentanyl overdoses in San Bernardino and the nation. The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health in collaboration with the Garcia Center for the Arts and Arts Connection announced "a poignant and powerful poetry event" that's part of the ongoing "Into Light" exhibition, a vehicle for fostering "addiction awareness, empathy and action through the arts," according to a county statement. Local poets and spoken-word artists will share heartfelt and thought-provoking writings and oratory in an effort to address "the personal and communal toll of substance use disorders," officials said. "Through their words, they will bring to life the struggles, hopes, and resilience of those affected by these issues, offering a platform for voices that are often unheard." The poetry event is set for Saturday, July 26 from 6-8 p.m. at the Garcia Center for the Arts, 536 W. 11th St. in San See Fentanyl crisis Page 13