Jackie Krentzman is a Bay Area-based writer/editor with experience creating compelling content in multiple sectors, including DEI, affordable housing, nonprofits, and education.

The city of Coachella bills itself as the “City of Eternal Sunshine.” But eternal sunshine comes at a cost. As housing prices soared in other parts of Riverside County, more families sought the relative affordability of this desert community. The July 2024 median sale price of a house in Coachella was $398,000 according to Redfin — about $217,000 less than in the county as a whole.

Coachella’s population has more than doubled since 2000. City leaders soon realized that to accommodate growth, they needed to encourage housing that doesn’t strain the city’s power infrastructure and incorporate measures that can improve the livability of a place where average temperatures can soar to 100-plus degrees for weeks on end.

Local officials say 2023 marked a turning point. The city received a $22 million Transformative Climate Communities grant to improve green spaces, provide affordable housing, and create workforce development opportunities all centered on addressing climate change at the local level. The grant was a game changer, jumpstarting the city’s climate-focused initiatives.

“We’ve seen hurricanes, we’ve seen droughts, we’ve seen dust storms, and we’ve seen more days of hotter weather,” said Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez during a press conference. “This is about making sure that our residents can adjust and thrive, the best we can in this new predicament of global warming.”

The city used the funding to create Coachella Prospera, developed in collaboration with 11 community partners. A focal point for Coachella Prospera is turning downtown Coachella into a more livable and climate-friendly community. That starts with centering multifamily housing in or near downtown, with easy access to public transportation, shopping, and other services.  

Over 100 of the 1,076 units built in Coachella since 2020 are downtown, with another 108 under construction. The city also issued over 550 housing permits in 2022 and 2023, many for accessory dwelling units.

The centerpiece of the downtown housing boom is Pueblo Viejo Villas, a $47 million net zero, multifamily development with 105 units of affordable housing. The project welcomed its first tenants in 2022. Fourteen million dollars of that funding came from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, which provides funding to projects that integrate low-carbon transportation and affordable housing that benefit low-income communities.

Pueblo Viejo Villas is one of three Coachella developments built by Chelsea Investment Corporation, a Coachella Prospera partner. Chelsea has built several multifamily projects in the city and recently broke ground on a 108-unit affordable housing community across the street from Pueblo Viejo Villas.

Chelsea has another 53-unit downtown project in the pipeline, the Sixth Street Senior Apartment Community, also partially funded by the Transformative Climate Communities grant program in the amount of $7.2 million. Residents receive free or reduced-price transit passes. 

“The city of Coachella is very committed to developing energy-efficient housing, and it has been a supportive partner with Chelsea on the projects we developed,” said Alex Earl, a Chelsea senior development associate. “They can serve as an excellent model for other cities looking to do the same.”

For Coachella officials, housing is just one piece of the puzzle. They want to also ensure residents can realize a full range of lifestyle and environmental benefits, says Director of Economic Development Celina Jimenez.

The city is applying the grant funding towards a diverse set of projects, including a new transit hub and zero-emission rideshare program. It is planning a wellness hub with a botanical garden, demonstration kitchen, and classrooms for fitness classes and contracted with GRID Alternatives Inland Empire to install solar panels on income-qualified single-family homes. The city also created a series of mobility hubs in strategic locations to give people a respite from the heat, with drinking fountains, bike repair kiosks, benches with shade, and phone charging units.

As in many cities, housing affordability, climate change, and workforce development go hand-in-hand in Coachella. Approximately $1.4 million of the state grant will fund programs that focus on career pathways in climate-related industries, including green building construction, solar photovoltaic installations, HVAC technicians, electricians, and urban forestry.

“As we plan for more housing, we want to prioritize work and workforce housing for families,” Jimenez said. “We have a very young demographic here. A lot of our households are 45 years old or younger with children. Family housing is a way to create a thriving community, one that supports all of its residents.”

Altogether, Coachella’s efforts point to one ultimate objective: To make Coachella an energy-efficient, affordable, and livable city.

“Our residents have repeatedly told us, loud and clear, that they want a city that offers the best possible health and well-being opportunities as they age in place,” said Jimenez. “We think with our housing, transportation, and overall climate initiatives, we are creating a city where everyone can thrive.”