Tackling homelessness head-on, Governor Gavin Newsom and officials rolled out six new Homekey projects set to create 369 affordable homes throughout California, this major housing push includes Oakland amongst other communities like Fresno and Los Angeles, as reported by the governor's office. The cash injection amounting to $99.9 million aims to convert hotels among other buildings into dwellings for the homeless, providing a boost to the state's efforts to get vulnerable Californians off the streets.
With a clear focus on the young and the chronically homeless, these projects not only offer immediate shelter but also pave the road for long-term stability, as cited by officials; the communities set to benefit include, but are not limited to Oakland, Fresno, San Diego, Yuba City, and the city and county of Los Angeles. Homekey, birthed from the COVID-19 era initiative Project Roomkey, continues to evolve, incorporating unconventional approaches like modular construction to get the job done quicker, the California Department of Housing and Community Development director noted in a statement.
“The homes created through the Governor’s Homekey initiative will change lives for generations,” said Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, spotlighting the transformative impact these developments will have on over 167,000 Californians grappling with housing insecurity. Her sentiment echoes through the halls of these soon-to-be homes as the program takes large strides toward mitigating homelessness, therein laying the foundation for opportunities that were once elusive for many, Moss told the governor's office.
The Golden State's Homekey initiative continues to impress with creativity and resourcefulness it converting existing structures such as hotels to meet urgent housing needs, a reminder that solutions often require thinking outside the box; the program has now funded a total of 250 projects encompassing 15,319 homes which, if all goes according to plan, will serve more than 167,000 at-risk or homeless individuals over their existence, according to details provided by HCD.
Among the highlighted projects, Oakland welcomes a former Quality Inn into the fold with a $20.4 million award transitioning it into 104 permanent dwellings, while the San Diego Housing Commission eyes a 163-unit hotel conversion for $35 million. Further down the coast, the City of Los Angeles partners with Hope the Mission for the Oak Tree Inn project to transform a motel into 22 units. These moves are part of a broader strategy leaning on collaboration between cities, non-profits, and community partners to address a persistent state-wide challenge.
