Riverside County will use $12.6 million in state funding to clear homeless encampments along the Murrieta Creek Trail. The planned cleanup, set to begin in April, is the third such project launched by the county. The county Board of Supervisors approved the use of the funds Tuesday, March 11. The ar ea spans over 12 miles, connecting the unincorporated areas of Temecula, Murrieta, Wildomar and Lake Elsinore, according to a county report. In addition to clearing encampments, the county aims to provide permanent housing for 80 people currently living along the Murrieta Creek Trail, according to Deputy Director of Housing and Workforce Solutions Tanya Torno. The Murrieta Creek project builds on the success of similar efforts in the Santa Ana and San Jacinto riverbeds, Torno said, and brings various county departments, cities and nonprofits together in a “holistic approach” to addressing homelessness. “This new project represents a continued commitment to providing lasting solutions and transforming the lives of those in need,” Torno added. RELATED: Riverside outlaws homeless encampments on public property In addition to clearing encampments, officials will work to find housing and provide services to those living near rivers and creeks, according to the county. Those who are moved from the project area will have access to educational, workforce, training and financial programs. In addition, the county is also working to improve existing emergency shelters. Key components of the Murrieta Creek plan include creating 50 additional emergency shelter beds through partnerships with God’s Fan Club Project Touch and the city of Murrieta, as well as the establishment of 80 permanent housing subsidies to support the rapid rehousing of people experiencing homelessness. “These measures will provide both immediate stabilization and long-term housing solutions for the population served by the project,” the county said in a report. Riverside County has already used state funds to relocate people living in encampments along the Santa Ana and San Jacinto riverbeds. The county also plans to build a navigation center near Hemet, and it opened a navigation center in Palm Springs earlier in 2024, according to a county news release. The centers offer what are called wrap-around services to assist those without permanent shelter. During the two prior encampment cleanup projects, the county moved 188 people from the Santa Ana riverbed and 45 people from the San Jacinto riverbed into permanent housing, Torno said. Related Articles Local News | San Bernardino homeless encampment sweeps expose complexities in providing aid Local News | San Bernardino to allocate $1.4 million to permanently house homeless residents Local News | Jeff Hobbs’ ‘Seeking Shelter’ looks at how Pasadena’s Door of Hope helps families Local News | San Diego tries a different approach to fire prevention: A new spray on dry brush Local News | Homeless population count underway in Inland Empire California is directing more than $34 million to the Inland Empire to help clear local homeless encampments, following Gov. Gavin Newsom order in July 2024 for local governments to address homelessness in their communities. The funds — some of the more than $130 million the state awarded to 18 local governments — will be used to provide shelter for residents currently living in encampments in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The push to clear encampments for homeless people followed a June 2024 Supreme Court decision, City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, which allows local governments to arrest people camping on public property, even when there are no shelter spaces available for them. Riverside County conducts the Point-in-Time Count, a canvass of residents without permanent shelter, every other year. In 2023, the county found 3,725 homeless people. Since 2020, the county’s homeless population has grown by 29%. ...read more read less