Riverside County has one of the fastest growing economies in the United States, but affordable housing is a major challenge. The economic divide in the Coachella Valley is particularly stark where prosperity and hardship co-exist. Gated communities, second homes, and a thriving and creative community spirit are underpinned by a workforce of teachers, first responders, hospitality workers, and domestic workers who help keep neighborhoods humming. Yet, many of these workers cannot afford to live in the areas where they work.
This problem is not unique in California, but the particular level of affluence, side by side with struggling residents, is in stark relief in our Valley. Up to two-thirds of residents spend more than 30% of their income on rent. Plenty of land is available, but wages are low and the cost of living is high. Many families survive on wages that don’t allow much extra money for food, health care, utilities, gas, and other necessities.
Lift to Rise is a visionary organization that seeks to ameliorate the dilemma of bringing affordable housing to places where it is not entirely welcomed. The group is a “collaboration of more than 70 partners, including private and public sector leaders and community advocates, working on a bold plan to radically increase housing stability and economic mobility for everyone in the Coachella Valley,” according to its website. Lift to Rise’s mission is to support low-income and working communities so everyone can benefit from the Coachella Valley’s economic successes.
Heather Vaikona, president and CEO of Lift to Rise, spoke at length about the organization’s Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) — a moonshot, if you will, of the founding coalition. “The magic of Lift to Rise is the motley assortment of invested partners” and the audacious goals set forth a decade ago that evolved into a powerful force, according to Vaikona. She boasts that Lift to Rise is “respected and recognized at a federal, state, and national level.” More than 70 parties in the coalition include non-profit agencies, members of the private sector, business leaders, academics, and union organizers.
Vaikona, a fourth-generation Southern Californian, is a passionate and unorthodox leader who is deeply committed to tackling the root causes of inequity in the Coachella Valley. She was raised, in part, on the Pacific island of Tonga and later lived and worked in Europe. Vaikona brings not only an urgency and a worldly vision but also a deep well of understanding to the cause. She spoke about the trickiness of navigating the wide chasm between the generous charity culture of the Palm Springs elite and the systemic injustice of the status quo.
When I asked Vaikona about the reason for her dedication to Lift to Rise, she spoke about a moment she experienced while in high school in Tonga. Her school had no running water, and a computer science teacher (who retired from a job at Microsoft) made her realize how lucky she was. Unlike many of her classmates, she would head off to college. Vaikona says she can trace her commitment to helping the underserved population to that revelatory moment. She spoke about the complexity of housing issues. “You need a PHD in economics to understand housing,” she says wryly.
Lift to Rise is delivering on its BHAG despite challenging NIMBY attitudes, the pandemic, wildfires, and other financial and community roadblocks. Its 10-year goal of building 10,000 affordable housing units in the Coachella Valley is close to being achieved. To date, 9,300 units have either been built or are in the pipeline, according to Vaikona.
When Lift to Rise was founded, an average of 38 affordable housing units were built in the Valley each year; now, 1,600 to 1,800 units are built annually. But, it’s still not enough. Rent burden, housing affordability, cost of living, pandemic hangover, recent fires in Los Angeles, and funding mechanisms that are potentially in peril affected the effort, but the network is strong and persevered. Recent government developments are dynamic. So, Lift to Rise officials sent a letter to lawmakers in March. It stated, among other things, that "stable and affordable housing is the foundation for health, economic security, and community prosperity. With federal funding for Medicaid, food assistance, and other supports also at risk, it is more important than ever to ensure that our community continues to remain stably housed."
Vaikona describes how Lift to Rise had to pivot quickly during COVID. The group offered millions of dollars in rental assistance to citizens in need. More than 55,000 people were kept housed thanks to its efforts and those of partners like the Community Housing Opportunities Corporation (CHOC). Lift To Rise and CHOC are separate non-profit entities. Lift to Rise is an affordable housing advocacy group, and CHOC is an affordable housing developer and service provider. While the two organizations have no formal affiliation, CHOC is a key member of Lift to Rise’s Collaborative Action Networks (CANs) and provides valuable insights from developers’ perspectives.
Joy Silver, chief strategy officer at CHOC, spoke about two recent projects — one in Palm Springs and one in Coachella. “Monarch Apartment Homes, which was our first complex in Palm Springs, was completed just over a year ago,” Silver says. “And it was the first one built in more than 14 years. Today, it houses 60 families that now have stable, well-designed homes, but it’s just a drop in the bucket of what our community needs.”
Monarch Apartment Homes opened in February 2024. The complex is eco-friendly and features a mid-century modern style to fit into its surroundings. A zen garden is available to residents and many units have a balcony or a patio. The entire development is designed to foster a sense of community spirit.
Placita Dolores Huerta – named in honor of the social justice icon — opened on May 2, 2024, and comprises 56 homes in Coachella. Its one-year anniversary is this month; the entirely rebuilt affordable housing community provides safe, affordable, and comfortable homes for desert residents. Huerta, a feminist, labor leader, and compatriot of Cesar Chavez, turned 95 on April 10. CHOC officials say the development “represents a full embrace of the area's vibrant Latino culture while simultaneously honoring the legacy of Dolores Huerta.”
The community includes a colorful mural of Huerta, a refreshing water feature, a children’s play area, a dog park, and BBQ facilities to promote social gatherings. “Our affordable housing communities are well-designed, include a wide variety of amenities, and truly provide an environment that the residents are proud to call home,” Silver says of the new community. “Placita Dolores Huerta is now home to families who now have a stable, safe, and beautiful home for their families. This is the type of housing our residents deserve. When all the various parties work together, it can be achieved, and everyone benefits.”
Vaikona is not starry-eyed about the massive housing crisis affecting much of the United States and acutely felt in the Coachella Valley. But, she sees caring for her neighbors as a vital component to help unlock resources. “We have to steward this place so 50 to 60 years from now, we can look back and say we did something,” she says. Her call to action is to “get curious and engaged, raise your voices, [and] show up at City Hall meetings to advocate for housing for teachers …” She says if the public wants it, things can get better for everyone.
With Lift to Rise as the anchor — and with more 70 partners in the coalition — the collective-impact model is making huge strides in affordable housing and, therefore, quality of life for some of the Coachella Valley’s most hard-working and vulnerable members. Vaikona is proud of the organization’s accomplishments. “We had the courage to take on a difficult project; we are collaborating and getting it done” one affordable housing unit at a time, she says.
