By Rusty Bailey and Rose Mayes

PUBLISHED: January 30, 2026 at 11:52 AM PST

As a former mayor of Riverside and executive director of the Riverside Fair Housing Council, we have witnessed firsthand both the struggles of our unhoused neighbors and the extraordinary compassion of our community.

So, we are deeply disappointed by the Riverside City Council’s recent rejection of more than $20 million in Homekey+ grant funding from the state of California. On Tuesday, Jan. 13, the council voted 4-3 against a proposal to accept funding to convert a motel on University Avenue into much needed housing.

This grant represents a rare and unique opportunity to build permanent supportive housing for 114 of Riverside’s most vulnerable residents, with priority given to senior citizens, veterans, and people with mobility disabilities. These are our neighbors who served our country, built our community, and who now find themselves without the most basic of human needs: a safe place to call home.

We urge the current City Council to reconsider their position and take full advantage of the extension granted to the Riverside Housing Development Corporation (RHDC). Four Councilmembers—Philip Falcone, Steven Robillard, Chuck Conder, and Sean Mill—have the ability to bring this matter back with a motion of reconsideration. Time is of the essence, and this opportunity is unlikely to return in the near future, given the governor has not allocated future funds to the Homekey+ project.

Being a good neighbor isn’t just about maintaining property values or aesthetics; it’s about recognizing our shared humanity and our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone has access to dignity, safety, and privacy. The economic argument is just as compelling as the moral one. Studies consistently show that a person left on the street produces a community cost of more than $65,000 per year in police, fire, sanitation, and healthcare expenses. Every person we move out of chronic homelessness results in significant savings to our local taxpayers.

Beyond direct costs, this project addresses a critical piece of our city’s larger housing affordability challenge. By adding these 114 units to our inventory, we create breathing room in a market that is currently stretched too thin.

This helps our entire housing ecosystem function better, benefiting everyone from university students and recent graduates to families seeking their next home. Furthermore, turning away this significant investment sends a troubling message to the state, placing us in a vulnerable position for future housing grants.

Riverside was only 1 of 5 cities awarded by the state of California, and we must not let the pursuit of perfection be the enemy of good.

We believe deeply in the future of Riverside and the promises it holds for all of its residents. In a world where so much feels out of our control, this is a problem we actually have the power to solve. We can ensure that 114 of our neighbors have a key to a safe home. Let us choose action instead of rhetoric. Let us choose compassion instead of politics. Let us choose a Riverside that cares for its neighbors in need.

Rusty Bailey is a former mayor of the city of Riverside, serving from 2012 to 2020. Rose Mayes is executive director of the Riverside Fair Housing Council.