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RIVERSIDE, Calif. () — The city of Riverside was recently awarded a $20.1 million state grant to build housing meant for low-income seniors and the homeless. But last month, the city council voted 4-3 to refuse to accept that funding.
Late Friday afternoon, none of the council members who voted against it stepped forward to signal their intent to change their vote by 5 p.m., which effectively will leave that money on the table. It likely means the end of plans that would have transformed a motel near UC Riverside into low-income housing.
“When we get awarded free state grant funding, that’s free from the state of California to come into our city, it is hard to see that we’re going to say no to $20.1 million,” said Riverside city council member Clarrisa Cervantes, who voted to accept the state grant.
If the city council had accepted the grant, the plan was to transform the Quality Inn motel on University Avenue into 114 studio apartment units.
“It’s hard not to lose sleep when you know that a project like this, facing the front of our community, can turn into a beautiful housing project,” said Cervantes. “It can help 114 people for 55 years. I mean, that’s generations.”
But not everyone agrees. Riverside city council member Sean Mill, who voted against accepting the state funding, said the proposal would do little to get to the core issues of helping those living on the streets.
“I don’t think just putting a roof over their head is going to solve the problem,” said Mill.
Mill said, according to the memorandum of understanding that the city council was voting on, 94 of the 114 units would be designated for those with mental disabilities or substance abuse issues, without specifying any funding to help them with treatment.
“I truly believe with the addiction and the mental illness, we need to deal with that. Otherwise, we’re just shifting their misery from one place, and putting a roof over it,” Mill said.
He is hoping the city council pursues ways to use Senate Bill 43, which went into effect in January 2026, to address the homeless crisis.
Bill 43 will give local authorities more power in intervening with people with severe, untreated conditions, including substance abuse and mental health disorders.
It also allows for involuntary 5150 holds and conservatorships.
“These are things the state has given us. We need to get them up and running here,” said Mill.
But Cervantes believes that providing a home to someone who is homeless is a critical first step toward helping them.
“People cannot recover when they’re in fight or flight, on the streets, in a car, or couch surfing,” said Cervantes.
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