Councilmember Edwards and her family pause at the Rise mural during the Martin Luther King Jr. Walk-a-thon in January 2024.

Dear Neighbors,

This February, take in new exhibits at The Cheech and the Civil Rights Institute. During Black History Month, visit the sites and events that celebrate Black lives and legacies, including the Black History Month flag raising (Feb 1), the annual Black History Parade (Feb 10), and Charles' Bibbs' Sacred Spaces exhibit at Riverside Art Museum (ongoing).

Tune in to the dais to discuss a Traffic Relief plan, $10 million in funding for Housing and Homelessness, and an Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Also, join me at the UCR Symposium at the School of Medicine on February 22nd (flyer below) where I'll be speaking about ways we can all be more connected and engaged. 

See you this month,

P.S. Please join me for my Office Hours via Zoom on Valentine's Day. Celebrate your love for the City by taking time to raise your concerns and questions over the lunch hour. 

Funding the Future of Affordable Housing

We need more affordable housing, yet developers struggle to make projects pencil. Tune in to the Housing and Homelessness Committee on February 26 at 3:30 PM for an idea to ease the financial burden on developers and create a local funding stream for critical affordable projects.  We will also be discussing the City's $10M allocation of HHAP (Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention) funding ahead of Council approval.

State of the City Recap

The Mayor's annual State of the City made one thing clear: Riverside is in motion, and our moment is now. Bigger than 99% of other U.S. cities, we are primed as regional leaders in economic development, housing and homelessness initiatives, and public safety. Best of all, we have a community that simply cannot be beat. Watch this inspiring video and let your #RiversidePride go wild.

Apply Now: Riverside Small and Micro Business Grant

 Good news: the Small and Micro Business Grant is still open!

Some quick tips for those that are still applying:

• You don’t need to create a log-in to submit an application, but you do need to log into the portal to communicate with the United Way after you submit. Make sure to follow the link to create your log-in credentials and you'll be able to chat with United Way staff, see the status of your application, and submit any extra materials. 
• Make sure you’re dialing 951-697-4700 x 6102 when calling the United Way for help.

Click here to apply.

Approving new urban forestry policy, City Council, February 6th (consent, afternoon) Grant acceptance of $11,104,807 with an additional $2,776,202 in local match funds for total funding amount of $13,881,009 for South Main Complete Streets Project and development of Citywide supplemental safety action plans, City Council, February 6th (afternoon) Provide feedback to Riverside County Transportation Commission on draft Traffic Relief Plan, City Council, February 6th (afternoon) Prioritization of railroad grade separations along Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad at Jackson, Madison, Mary, Spruce, and Tyler Streets, and Mission Inn Avenue, Mobility & Infrastructure Committee, February 8th, 1 PM Affordable Housing Trust Fund Discussion, Housing and Homelessness Committee, February 26th For all upcoming meetings and unreleased meeting materials, click here. Meeting agendas are posted 12 days before each meeting.

Ofelia Valdez-Yeager: Riverside Icon

Ofelia receiving the City Spirit Award in 2021.

Ward 1 resident Ofelia Valdez-Yeager, the fierce Latino arts fundraiser who helped establish The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture, and who made history by becoming the first Latina to serve on the Riverside Unified School Board, passed away on January 7th. She is greatly missed but her work in the city can be felt and seen every day. Read about her life and legacy here.

Visit the Riverside Art Museum to see world-renown Riverside Charles Bibbs' exhibit, Sacred Spaces, open through March 10th, 2024.