BOOST Participant–Coachella Valley
About Coachella Valley:
The Coachella Valley is a region in Southern California at the northernmost point of the Salton Sea. The Valley contains the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indio, La Quinta, Indian Wells, Desert Hot Springs, Coachella and Cathedral City. The Valley boasts over 350 days of sunshine a year and is responsible for 95% of the nation’s date crop. Though the Coachella Valley has many attractions and events, it is also home to several disadvantaged communities without access to safe drinking water.
- Population: 346,518 (2010)
- Location: Southern California
- Area: 28.95 square miles
- Disadvantaged community: 5-25%
- Poverty rate: 28%
- Median household income: $34,300
BOOST Activities:
- Specific activities are currently under development.
BOOST Successes:
The original plan for ILG’s BOOST activities with Coachella Valley was to help the region secure funding related to climate and resilience. However, since CVAG specifically asked that ILG seek funding mechanisms not related through the California Climate Investment funds, opportunities were limited. The partnership evolved with a focus on providing education and grant writing assistance to support regional housing efforts in partnership with the collective impact organization Lift to Rise. ILG leveraged Lift to Rise’s Collective Action Networks to illuminate new funding sources and to provide training to local governments and community partners on how to engage the public in the development of housing elements in a COVID-19 virtual environment.