SafeHouse of the Desert

Many people consider the Coachella Valley "paradise", every year this paradise becomes a dangerous and scary place to the hundreds of young people who are trying to survive on the streets without resources to help them.  A 2001 needs assessment conducted by the Regional Access Foundation found that all Coachella Valley homeless programs currently serve either adults or families with children.  The 696 homeless and runaway children that were reported last year fall into neither category.

An artist's rendering of the SafeHouse of the Desert Facility

The new desert facility will be a 16,000 square foot 24-hour emergency shelter providing a total of 20 beds for children between the ages of 12 and 18.  Located at 72710 East Lynn Street in Thousand Palms, the shelter will be accessible to public transportation for children who self-refer/self-transport themselves to the shelter.  As more than half of the youth arriving at the shelter are expected to be transported by police or sheriff, the shelter's central Valley location and close proximity to Interstate 10 have garnered the support of Valley-wide local law enforcement agencies.

• See a Site Plan for the Facility
• See a Floor Plan for the Facility

Operation SafeHouse recruited a number of Valley civic and community leaders to form an advisory group to assist in developing services and managing the development of a local shelter facility.  This committee is comprised of representatives of local law enforcement, nonprofit service providers, developers and community volunteers.

• See Advisory Committee List

SafeHouse of the Desert is well positioned to achieve its goal of providing safety, shelter and support to Coachella Valley's runaway, throwaway and at-risk children. The projected cost of the facility is currently $5.5 million dollars.  To date, we have raised $4 million dollars from the following resources:

The balance of funding will come from Coachella Valley cities, individuals, corporations, service groups, as well as public and private foundations.

SafeHouse of the Desert broke ground for our new facility on March 29th, 2006 and we are now entering the first phase of construction and have our Grand Opening planned for Fall 07.

Ground-breaking for SafeHouse of the Desert.

Construction Begins

The building takes shape

Moving along

Another view

Fall 2007: almost done...

If you have any questions or comments regarding SafeHouse of the Desert, please contact Kathy McAdara, Executive Director at

(951) 351-4418.

Please check this page for future updates as we grow.