County Receives $800K Grant for Eastern Coachella Valley Park Projects

From the County of Riverside: Supervisor V. Manuel Perez offers the following statement on Riverside County’s award of an $800,339 grant from the Housing-Related Parks Program through the California Department of Housing and Community Development, announced by the department on Friday:

“This is a huge win for the eastern Coachella Valley communities and the futures of our youth! Riverside County is very fortunate to receive this large grant award to support our efforts with Desert Recreation District to create parks in the communities of North Shore, Oasis and Thermal.

“For the first time, all three communities are slated to have their own parks to provide recreational amenities for families and children to enjoy. This significant award will push these park projects closer to fruition.

“I want to thank all who worked tirelessly on the grant application to make this great news possible: the Riverside County Economic Development Agency and Housing Authority, the Transportation & Land Management Agency, Desert Recreation District and the Fourth Supervisorial District office.

“I also acknowledge the work of Supervisor John J. Benoit in laying the foundation for future parks in these communities. It was a priority to him to establish these parks for the benefit of families in North Shore, Oasis and Thermal. John would be really proud to see this.

“I look forward to building on those efforts and working closely with the Desert Recreation District to make these park projects a reality.”

The Housing-Related Parks Program is a state program that provides grant funds to create or rehabilitate parks and/or recreational facilities for local governments that approve housing for lower-income households and that are in compliance with state housing element law.

In December 2016, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors passed a 5th Cycle Housing Element, which qualified the county for funding through this program. The Riverside County Economic Development Agency applied for the grant in February 2017.

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