A new effort launched Wednesday exploring how to diversify the economy around the Salton Sea so that the thousands of people who call the area home have greater opportunities to work towards stable, healthy lives.
The nonprofit Alianza Coachella Valley and the Center for Social Innovation at the University of California, Riverside hosted more than 30 people for a virtual discussion on what it will take to foster equity and economic mobility in this rural desert economy. Attendees included representatives from Riverside and Imperial counties, the state of California, local and regional organizations, and community members. Together and in small groups, they discussed the existing barriers to the region’s further economic growth and what research and information are needed to build support for private and government investment.
“These convenings are going to bring us an opportunity to explore community engagement practices that can be held out as a model for other areas of the state,” said Toni Symonds, the chief consultant for the California State Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development, and the Economy. “Everybody here agrees that there are many poorly conceived practices out there, and that’s why — and this is obviously just the beginning — our committee is very excited to join the conversation.”
The initiative, called Our Salton Sea: Investing in People for a Thriving Region, came together after Alianza and CSI recognized that a concerted effort was needed in order for the rural Eastern Coachella Valley to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and “build back batter” as President Joe Biden has advocated. Currently, agriculture is the area’s largest industry, and the pandemic hit the area especially hard, in large part due to inadequate housing, transportation, healthcare access and clean water.
“The initial goal for this initiative is to expand our approach to economic development and economic mobility and fully understand what determines success in the region,” said Alianza Executive Director Silvia Paz. “Our mid-term goal is to develop a regional strategy for achieving inclusive, equitable and sustainable economic opportunities for communities that have historically been underserved.”
Our Salton Sea plans to hold further meetings building off of the discussion Wednesday and host sessions to gather ideas from the wider community. The next step is to work with researchers and the community to determine where regional attention should be directed in order to achieve lasting economic success.
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About Alianza Coachella Valley: Alianza is the only coalition of people and organizations built around resident leadership working to bring dramatic changes to the Coachella Valley. We understand that healthy and economically thriving communities exist only when people have a seat at the table for decisions that affect their daily lives. Alianza is currently working on campaigns for better schools, improving the local environment and promoting youth leadership. For more information, visit www.alianzacv.org.
About CSI: The Center for Social Innovation aims to provide a credible research voice that spurs civic leadership and policy innovation. The Center also aims to integrate researchers, community organizations, and civic stakeholders in collaborative projects and long-term partnerships that boost collective impact. Importantly, the Center seeks to shift away from a “problem” narrative to an “opportunity” narrative for marginalized communities and localities.
