Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey unveiled 30 pre-assembled cabins today that will provide temporary shelter for Riverside’s homeless.
The Riverside City Council in December approved almost $500,000 in appropriations for the “Emergency Shelter Cabin Village.”
It’s a “village” of small cabins in the former parking lot of the Riverside Access Center, where homeless people in Riverside can access services.
Mayor Rusty Bailey said at the unveiling that while these cabins won’t end homelessness in the city, they’re a step in the right direction.
Bailey: “This is a crisis, and we’re responding as such, through emergency shelter. That’s why we’re here today. The only outcome that we truly care about is people off the streets.”
Bailey added that these cabins will provide security and privacy for homeless people who may be averse to a traditional shelter environment.
Bailey: “This includes couples, people with pets, families with children who have aged out of the family shelter, and individuals suffering from PTSD.”
The cabins are meant to be transitional housing until people can be placed into more permanent housing.
In addition to funding the village, the City Council voted in December to add 40 beds to existing shelters.
The cabin village is off of Massachusetts Avenue in Riverside.
