Newsom highlights Mobile Homeless Connect resources & services – Los Angeles Blade

LOS ANGELES – Alongside state and local leaders at a new Homekey project in Los Angeles preparing to welcome tenants, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the award of $694 million for 35 projects on Wednesday that will create more than 2,500 new units in 19 communities throughout the state.

In total, including today’s announcement, California’s nation-leading Homekey program has funded more than 200 projects statewide – creating more than 12,500 permanent and interim homes for people exiting homelessness. 

“With 12,500 new homes funded in just two years, Homekey is changing lives across the state,” said Newsom. “Homekey’s groundbreaking success is a model for the nation, showing that we can make real progress on ending homelessness in months, not years. In partnership with cities and counties like Los Angeles, we’ll continue to safely house Californians in need faster and more cost-effectively than ever.”

The Governor celebrated Homekey’s recent two-year anniversary at a volunteer workday for a Los Angeles Homekey project, where he assisted in assembling welcome kits as part of the site’s move-in preparations.

Including today’s awards, the Los Angeles region has to date received $948 million for 62 Homekey projects that will create 4,034 units of housing. The Governor was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency (BCSH) Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez and Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez.

“Homekey is more than just another tool in our toolbox in the work to end homelessness – it’s an opportunity for thousands to start anew, and an injection of pride and dignity that can keep Angelenos off the street for good,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “Thanks to this latest infusion of funds, hundreds of people experiencing homelessness today will be offered the stability of a permanent home, the safety of a door with a lock, and the services they need to get back on their feet.”

Homekey has become a national model for how to quickly deploy emergency funds to meet the diverse needs of rural, suburban, urban and tribal communities working to expand homeless housing. Building on the program’s success, the state budget signed by the Governor this year invests an additional $150 million, bringing total Homekey funding to $3.75 billion.

“Homekey has been one of our most effective and catalytic affordable housing supply solutions,” said BCSH Secretary Lourdes Castro Ramírez. “Thanks to Governor Newsom’s vision, in 24 months, we designed a hotels-to-housing national model, mobilized technical assistance and marshaled historic housing resources. The state brought together housing providers, social service organizations, residents and local leaders to create over 12,500 places that people exiting homelessness can call home. This is an incredible example of good government responding with compassion, speed and transformative solutions.”

Newsom also announced $47 million in housing grants to create more residential care options for seniors and adults with disabilities, including people at risk of or experiencing homelessness. These grants are the first to be awarded through the new Community Care Expansion (CCE) – Capital Expansions Grants Program administered by the California Department of Social Services to help address historic gaps in the state’s behavioral health and long-term care continuum.

The Governor’s multibillion-dollar homeless housing investments will provide more than 55,000 new housing units and treatment slots in the coming years. Building on last year’s historic $12 billion investment to help get the most vulnerable people off the streets, the state budget this year invests an additional $3 billion in behavioral health housing, homeless emergency aid, and encampment rehousing strategies, creating a total $15 billion package.

“In just two years, Homekey has facilitated the creation of 12,500 interim and permanent homes for our most at-risk Californians. In this program, HCD continues implementing systemic changes to address both the urgent need to shelter people and to progress toward our Statewide Housing Plan goal for more affordable housing for lower-income and unhoused residents who are disproportionately people of color,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “State and local collaboration has been key throughout these two years, and we must continue to use Homekey as a model to accelerate production and affirmatively further fair housing.”

Wednesday’s Homekey awards include the following projects:

• City of Fontana: $3.1 million for 14 interim units
• City of Fresno: Four awards totaling $57.9 million for 283 units
• City of Los Angeles: Ten awards totaling $277.3 million for a total of 960 units
• County of Los Angeles: Two awards totaling $24.6 million for a total of 78 units
• City of Long Beach: Two awards totaling $30.6 million for 110 interim units
• City of Newark: $38.1 million for 124 permanent units and one manager unit
• City of Oakland: $5.6 million for 24 interim units and 10 interim youth units
• City of Palo Alto: $26.6 million for 108 interim units
• County of Riverside/Palm Springs: $19.1 million for 70 interim units and 10 interim youth units
• County of San Diego: $11.8 million for 40 permanent units and one manager unit
• San Francisco: Two awards totaling $73.4 million for a total of 221 units
• City of San Jose: $51.6 million for 204 interim units
• County of San Luis Obispo: $568,000 for 3 interim housing youth units
• City of Santa Rosa: Two awards totaling $24.7 million for 91 units
• Sonoma County: $6.3 million for 21 permanent units and one manager unit
• City of Stockton: $4.1 million for 14 permanent units and one manager unit
• City of Thousand Oaks: $26.7 million for 77 permanent units and one manager unit
• County of Ventura: $5.9 million for 27 interim youth units
• City of West Hollywood: $6 million for 20 interim units and one manager unit

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