Lift to Rise presents action plan for affordable housing
Lift to Rise and Partners spent more than seven months developing and implementing their new two-year plan to build more affordable housing in the Coachella Valley.
And on June 25, they celebrated those months of hard work with dinner at Casuelas Café in Palm Desert.
Lift to Rise, a Coachella Valley nonprofit, and the 75+ partners that make up its Housing Collaborative Action Network (CAN), officially released its 2024-26 Action Plan in May and have been working to share its strategies and goals with the broader community ever since. Prior to the evening celebration, a special town hall event was also held at UC Riverside-Palm Desert on June 25 to present the Action Plan to the public.
The network of partners, which includes private and public sector leaders and community representatives, is working on an ambitious 10-year plan to dramatically increase housing stability and economic mobility in the Coachella Valley. A key component of this plan is the creation of 10,000 new affordable housing units in the valley by 2028.
Every two years, partners assess their progress toward this goal and develop new strategies based on data analysis and community input.
The new action plan sets a goal of creating 7,500 new affordable housing units by 2026, with a focus on units linked to early childhood education and health services. The action plan also sets out six strategic priorities, including creating greater public awareness and support for affordable housing in the region and working to ensure that affordable housing options are not limited by utilities and underdeveloped infrastructure.
“The Action Plan is our roadmap for the next two years,” said Heather Vaikona, CEO and President of Lift to Rise. “We created it out of our continued commitment and belief that we can achieve dramatic results that match the magnitude of the challenges facing our community. Our motivation remains a deep love and care for all people in the Coachella Valley. All people need shelter and we strive to meet that need in any way we can.”
Developing the new action plan was a truly collaborative process that began in December with a series of hearings where Coachella Valley residents voiced their concerns about housing costs and other economic hurdles. Then in January, partners met for a two-day conversation to discuss the successes and challenges of the past two years and to identify priorities and strategies for the next two years.
Since 2022, CAN’s collaboration has resulted in a dramatic increase in affordable housing creation in the Coachella Valley: approximately 1,200 units in 2024, up from an annual average of 38 units prior to 2018. In addition, Lift to Rise has launched the Affordable Housing Pipeline Portal, a publicly accessible online tool for mapping and tracking affordable housing development; has increased We Lift: The Coachella Valley’s Housing Catalyst Fund to $44 million with $26 million in loan commitments; and has partnered with local governments, state policymakers, and a growing network of engaged community members to advance affordable housing policies and projects.
Lift to Rise recently presented the action plan at meetings of all nine city councils in the Coachella Valley. Riverside County and all cities in the valley are partners in the Lift to Rise collaborative network, which is committed to creating affordable housing locally.
The action plan also outlines ways that anyone, regardless of background or interests, can get involved in Lift to Rise’s work and contribute to a better future in the Coachella Valley. Residents can join the new Committees by Cities initiative, business owners can support affordable housing and living wage initiatives, and nonprofit employees can join Housing CAN or Resident Leadership Table.
For more information about the action plan and ways to get involved, visit lifttorise.org/actionplan.
Barrett Newkirk is Director of Strategic Communications at Lift to Rise.
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