PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — A new affordable housing project will rise in more than a dozen years in Palm Springs.
The Community Housing Opportunities Corp. broke ground on a $31 million, 60-unit housing complex last week to help house low-income and working-class families in the northern part of Palm Springs.
The Monarch Apartment Homes expect to be completed sometime in 2023, officials said.
"It's so critical to build affordable housing, especially in this day and age," said Joy Silver, the regional director of Southern California for the Community Housing Opportunities. "The building of affordable housing is what helps prevent and deters homelessness."
The affordable housing project is the first in Palm Springs in 12 years. The development comes as the state, mired in a housing crisis, pushes local municipalities to build more affordable housing to keep up with demand and a growing population.
According to the city's Regional Housing Needs Allocation, a process mandated by the state that allocates the number of housing units to be built within a specific time frame, Palm Springs needs to plan for 2,557 new housing units at various income levels from now to October 2029.
Earlier this year, the state awarded Community Housing Opportunities $21 million to help build the Monarch apartment project. Other funding sources include the city of Palm Springs, the County of Riverside, Flagstar Bank, the California Community Reinvestment Corp., California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, and California Debt Limit Allocation Committee.
Palm Springs also donated the 3.6-acre vacant land for the project located at the southeast corner of North Indian Canyon and San Rafael Drive.
The mid-century-modern-designed Monarch Apartments will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, all with balconies or patios.
The development also features a community building with a computer classroom, a rental office, and a lounge that serves as a place to host group functions. Other amenities include a dog park, splash pad and two barbecue areas.
The development will provide housing for low-and-moderate income workers and families.
"This is the first new affordable housing property in 12 years, and there is more to come," said Riverside County Board of Supervisor V. Manuel Perez in a news release.