Homeless Housing Projects Across California To Get $181 Million

CALIFORNIA — More than $180 million in funding will go to projects across California to help build housing for the state's unhoused population, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

The funding will go toward 13 projects across the state that, when completed, will create 605 housing units for anyone "experiencing, or at risk of experiencing homelessness," Newsom said.

The housing units will provide people with a "supportive environment with the critical resources they need" to escape homelessness, he said.

"Every Californian deserves a safe place to call home," Newsom said. "Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve housed thousands of individuals, and nearly every week, we’re approving more Homekey projects."

Homekey is a statewide program aimed at converting unused hotels and motels to permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming unhoused.

The funding will go to several counties and cities in the state working on housing people, according to a statement from Newsom's office.

The bulk of the funding — around $99 million — will go to Homekey housing projects in Los Angeles County. That included purchasing and converting three former hotels into permanent supportive housing, Newsom's office said.

Other recipients included the following, the governor's office said.

• Orange County will receive more than $6 million to convert a motel into a 21-unit housing project.
• The city of Merced will get $4.2 million to build housing out of shipping containers.
• Tulare County will use $14.5 million to convert a 57-unit hotel into housing.
• The city of Redlands will use $30 million to turn a hotel into a 98-room residence.
• Riverside County will get almost $12 million to convert a 53-room hotel into permanent housing.
• King City will receive $12.4 million to covert a 45-unit hotel.
• The Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians will receive $1.9 million to purchase a "scattered site project" in Lakeport that will provide 11 housing units.