City and community leaders attended the grand opening ceremony for Veterans Village on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, located at 30600 Landau Blvd, Cathedral City, CA 92234.
The Veterans Village, a $27 million veterans housing development from Ikaika Ohana (Urban Housing Communities), consists of 48 one-bedroom units and 12 two-bedroom units along with amenities including a 3,000 square foot community center, swimming pool, horseshoe court, bocce ball courts, BBQ area, fire pit, community garden, and outdoor seating.
Not only will the veterans have the supportive services they need to live a full and healthy life, but they will do so on land donated by the city that has spectacular mountain views. Organizations offering services to veterans who live at the Village include Mental Health Systems, Loma Linda Veterans Administration, Riverside Continuum of Care, and the Salvation Army.
Key stakeholders that spoke at the ceremony included Cathedral City Mayor Ernesto Gutierrez, Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez, a representative from the Office of Rep. Raul Ruiz, MD, John Bigley of Urban Housing Communities, Caron Bayor and Shantel Forstall from Loma Linda VA, Dr. Laura Otis- Miles, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services, Corporate Compliance Officer, TURN Behavioral Health Services, and Sonia Rahm, Director, Citi Community Capital.
This project started through a conversation with Lori Zito of Urban Housing Communities and the late Mayor Gregory S. Pettis realizing the need for this type of housing for our homeless veterans in the Coachella Valley.
Financial support for the project comes from the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Citibank, RBC, Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention funds through Housing and Community Development (HCD), County of Riverside, City of Cathedral City, and Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia’s office.