188 People Housed In RivCo's Santa Ana River-Bottom Initiative

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Riverside County announced Tuesday that it is seeing results after a multi-year and $11 million effort to address homelessness in the Santa Ana River bottom.

At least 188 people experiencing homelessness have been transitioned into "stable housing" since the initiative began last year, county officials said.

"I'm probably the happiest I've been in a long time. I'm glad to say I have a home," said Mike Holifield, a former Santa Ana Riverbed resident. "When I hear myself say that, I'm sort of shocked, you know?"

The effort brought together law enforcement, behavioral health professionals, social services and housing specialists to both preserve the natural environment and address encampments, according to Heidi Marshall, director of Riverside County's Housing & Workforce Solutions.

The river, which runs through a chunk of Riverside County and is hydrologically connected to Lake Elsinore, has long been a hotbed for encampments.

“The Santa Ana Riverbed initiative is about more than just addressing encampments — it’s about restoring our community spaces and providing real solutions for the unhoused, all while ensuring a sustainable future for our residents,” RivCo's District 2 Supervisor Karen Spiegel wrote in a release. “Rather than taking a short-term approach, we invested in real solutions, ensuring that those living there had access to housing, services, and a fresh start."

County officials said the project began as a complex challenge that forced their teams to balance public safety, environmental preservation and the needs of unhoused people.

The $11 million came from California's Encampment Resolution Fund and was part of Gov. Gavin Newsom's push to hold cities and counties accountable for clearing encampments.

Officials say the riverbed project has inspired another initiative to work within the San Jacinto River-bottom. There's also a new project launching to address encampments in Southwest Riverside County.