Dear Neighbor,

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As Mayor of Riverside, my highest priority is to focus on the issues that matter most to you.  In the last two years, I’ve worked with everyone, from city staff, labor leaders, the business community, and my colleagues on City Council to ensure we delivered solutions and results for Riverside.

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Infrastructure:  I have been your voice in Sacramento and Washington DC where I fought for our fair share of state and federal funding, resulting in over $180 million for infrastructure and capital improvement projects throughout the city. 

 

Public safety: We increased funding for police and fire services to make our streets and neighborhoods safer and bolster our emergency preparedness, including $13 million for teams to ensure safety in the Santa Ana River bottom.

 

Homelessness:  My top priority. I’ve secured over $20 million for prevention and targeted intervention, and while it has taken decades of failed policies to create this crisis we are not going to solve this challenge overnight. However, I am determined to tackle this challenge aggressively with programs that focus on prevention, enforcement, and support:

 

• Prevention: I’ve launched Project Connect for those leaving our jails, preventing them from becoming homeless by connecting them with services and housing. We’ve already seen a 50% success rate in the months since its launch in March. For foster youth, my Challenge to End Youth Homelessness focuses on our youth who are transitioning out of care, 80% of whom are at risk for homelessness.  We’ve already seen a 14% decline in youth homelessness in 2023 alone.

 

• Enforcement: I recognize the importance of balanced enforcement measures that consider both public safety and the dignity of individuals experiencing homelessness. I am working closely with our public safety departments to address criminal activity and continue to make sure our police have the resources they need to enforce the law. We are also implementing policies that encompass the enforcement of our anti-camping ordinance in the Santa Ana River bottom and continue to make tangible progress.

 

• Support: I advocated for CARE Court which will provide help for those suffering from mental illness to get off the street and get the support they need. Riverside County is one of the first to implement this program in the state due to our efforts. I fought for the implementation of HOME Court which will help those suffering from addiction, an alternative to incarceration and a path to rehabilitation. Finally, we will be providing more affordable housing to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless in the first place.

 

Riverside is one of the fastest growing cities in California. We must balance this growth with innovative solutions, responsible decision making and a “back to business” approach that is not swayed by the hyper-partisan politics that seek to divide our local community.

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Riverside residents want the peace of mind to live, work, and raise their families safely and a Mayor that will fight for every person, in every neighborhood. You deserve solutions and results, and as your Mayor, I am committed to delivering them.

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Sincerely,

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Patricia Lock Dawson

Mayor, City of Riverside