A fire at Country Squire RV and Mobile Home Park in Desert Hot Springs caused extensive damage to nine mobile homes and forced 185 residents to evacuate. The California Department of Housing and Community Development declared the park unsafe, but families could return to unaffected units after meeting health and safety requirements. Nonprofit organizations, the City of Desert Hot Springs, and the County of Riverside provided temporary housing for those unable to return home.

"The support for these families and the resources we have secured for this response have been phenomenal," said Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. "This has been a major effort to stabilize the housing situation for families who lost everything in this fire and provide hope and relief to folks before the shelter's closure at the high school. The city and the county are here to support the community. We are coming together and united in support of our residents."

Desert Hot Springs offers temporary housing to families in need. Nonprofits like Red Cross, Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, and Tzu Chi Foundation assist with case management, down payment assistance, and longer-term housing placements.

In addition to local government representatives, State Assemblymembers Greg Wallis and Eduardo Garcia have pledged their assistance to the efforts. The staff of U.S. Representative Raul Ruiz has also been on site collecting intake forms on what the residents need.

Despite some recent stabilization, we understand that many families still have concerns about their housing situation. Worrying about debris clean-up, rent payments, safety, and park conditions are natural. That's why we're working closely with the state agency of HCD, Supervisor Perez, Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas, and City Manager Doria Wilms. We're addressing residents' concerns about jurisdiction over mobile home parks, health and safety, and landlord-tenant matters. Both county and city officials are committed to keeping residents informed of any updates as we work to solve these challenges.

“This united endeavor demonstrates the city and county’s dedication to the well-being of the community and our commitment to finding answers for the residents’ remaining questions,” said Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas.

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