While the attention of many Joshua Tree residents has been focused on the former fire station slated to become a day-use shelter for area homeless, the folks at Morongo Basin ARCH —which stands for “Aligning Resources and Challenging Homelessness” —have quietly been focused on a different kind of shelter. Reporter Mike Lipsitz tells us what it’s all about…
ARCH recently signed a no-interest loan agreement with the county for $213,000 to pay for what’s called transitional or bridge housing. The funds are to pay for a duplex home designed for short-term housing for up to two families who find themselves without a roof over their heads and insufficient resources to pay for one. These are families with children who may be escaping domestic violence, or who may have been living one paycheck away from eviction then lost employment. ARCH transitional housing is an alternative for families who might otherwise find themselves living in their vehicle or at a local motel. Residents of the facility will typically stay one to three months, while preparing to move into permanent housing with more assistance from ARCH. The facility in Joshua Tree is not a halfway house or treatment facility for those in recovery. Residents of the new facility will come from referrals by the county’s 211 system.
This type of housing is a new venture for Morongo Basin ARCH which also runs two sober-living homes in Twentynine Palms. Exact location of the ARCH residence in Joshua Tree remains undisclosed for the safety and privacy of its residents. More information is available at morongobasinarch.org
