State, city and county officials are applauding Los Angeles for taking big steps in providing shelter for the unhoused. The city has announced that the second round of Project Homekey will provide 15 new permanent sites with a total of 1,235 units in L.A. city and county.
Between the first and second rounds, Project Homekey will now produce 1,467 units of permanent supportive housing throughout 20 sites across the city using nearly $1.3 billion of state and local funding.
For this latest effort, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that L.A. will receive $209 million in funding for the second round of Project Homekey, a State program to buy existing buildings and convert them to supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The city of Los Angeles will be contributing an additional $157 million of matching funds.
“Project 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 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.”
L.A. County secured $243 from the second round of Project Homekey, which will go toward the acquisition of 14 properties in Boyle Heights, Compton, East Hollywood, Inglewood, Koreatown, Redondo Beach, Lancaster, San Pedro, Westlake, Woodland Hills and other unincorporated communities, creating a total of 720 units of permanent supportive housing and interim housing. The County acquired 10 properties, totaling 847 unit, in the initial round of Project Homekey.
“With 12,500 new homes funded in just two years, Homekey is changing lives across the state,” said Governor Newsom in a statement. “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.”