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“We are proud to work with local partners who are helping their communities by providing much-needed housing to alleviate homelessness. We will continue to support local governments that are working to ensure everyone has a place to call home,” said Governor Newsom.
Today’s $130.6 million in grants from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) will create new affordable housing in partnership with the cities of Merced, Richmond, San Francisco and Sebastopol, Orange, Riverside and San Mateo counties, and the housing authorities of Kern and Sacramento counties. Since the program began in 2020, Homekey has awarded $3.6 billion to support 259 projects that will include 15,850 homes and serve more than 172,000 California households over the life of the projects.
“Homekey continues to demonstrate California’s unwavering commitment to working with local partners to expand our housing supply and build new homes for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of Business, Consumer Services and Housing. “Through this latest round of Homekey awards, our partnership with these nine communities will produce 533 permanently supportive homes to help Californians in communities across the state.”
“Homekey was originally an emergency response to help contain the spread of COVID-19 among homeless Californians, but it has evolved into a model to support our families and individuals in need of housing, such as deserving veterans and others suffering from mental health challenges,” said Gustavo Velasquez, director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “Thanks to forward-thinking voters, HCD will be able to play an even greater role in housing Californians in need and connecting them with the services they need to escape homelessness and maintain stable housing.”
Homekey, managed by HCD, originated at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic as Project Roomkey, an emergency response to quickly provide housing in a non-congregate setting for homeless Californians and reduce the spread of disease among vulnerable populations. While early Homekey projects focused on hotel and motel conversions, projects awarded in the third round of Homekey included hospital conversions, new construction, and innovative modular construction methods. The goal of the program remains to rapidly expand the availability of affordable housing to help Californians escape or prevent homelessness.
As funding for the Homekey program expires, HCD staff is preparing to expand this highly successful model statewide under the new name Homekey+. This is thanks to the foresight of voters who approved Proposition 1 to fund housing and comprehensive supportive services for veterans and other Californians who are at risk of or already experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness and who also have mental and psychological health challenges. HCD, in collaboration with CalVet, will release the Homekey+ notice of funding availability before the end of 2024.
Below are the project details for the Homekey Awards announced today:
- The Housing Authority of the Sacramento Countywill receive $17,000,000 in partnership with Danco Communities and Sacramento Madison Avenue LP for the Madison Square Studios project, a hotel acquisition and redevelopment that will create 118 permanent assisted living apartments and a management unit for people experiencing homelessness.
- The City of Merced, in partnership with CC915 Merced, Inc., provides $11,150,000 for the Homekey CC915 Merced Phase 2 project, a modular new construction that will create 57 permanent, supportive housing units for people experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness, as well as a management unit.
- The County of Orangewill receive $29,000,000 in partnership with American Family Housing for Project 1400 Bristol, the acquisition and rehabilitation of a motel to create 76 permanent supportive housing units for persons who are homeless or chronically homeless and for persons at risk of homelessness, as well as two manager’s apartments.
- The City of Richmondin partnership with 425 Civic Center LP and Trinity Center Walnut Creek will receive $14,512,660 for the Civic Center Apartments, a hotel acquisition and redevelopment project that will create 48 permanent assisted living apartments for people experiencing homelessness and a management unit.
- The Riverside Countywill receive $21,724,000 in partnership with Abode Communities for the Desert Extended Stay project, a hotel acquisition and redevelopment project to create 96 permanent supportive housing units for persons at risk of homelessness, those experiencing homelessness or chronic homelessness, and a management unit.
- The City and County of San Francisco receives $8,225,095 for 42 Otis Street, a multifamily mixed-use acquisition project that will create 24 permanent supportive housing units for youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
- The San Mateo Countyin partnership with Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco and 721 Airport LLC, receives $13,892,800 from 721 Airport The project involves the acquisition and renovation of a hotel to create 45 permanent assisted living units and a management unit for people who are homeless or chronically homeless.
- Sevastopol, Sonoma County District Council, Inc., in partnership with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, will receive $6,449,235 for Gravenstein Commons, a new development that will create 21 permanent assisted housing units and a manager’s apartment for the homeless.
For more information about the Homekey program and a complete list of awards, visit the HCD website.
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