LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Mayor Eric Garcetti joined Gov. Gavin Newsom today to announce the city of Los Angeles has been awarded nearly $40 million to create housing for homeless people through the state's fourth round of the Homekey initiative.
“Confronting and ending homelessness is a team effort, demanding attention, resources and investment from cities, counties and our state,'' Garcetti said. “Los Angeles has taken full advantage of Homekey, submitting applications for 16 properties which, if approved, will add hundreds of permanent supportive housing units to our stock and allow us to bring more of our most vulnerable neighbors indoors.''
The funding will create 243 units in the city, which is part of the state's $147 million of this round to established 1,109 units throughout California.
In total, the four rounds have funded $590 million in housing costs in the state, according to the governor's office.
The program funds the purchase and rehabilitation of housing units within hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings and other properties to make them long-term residences homeless people.
“Behind every allocation we make for Homekey is the story of a Californian who will no longer have to sleep in a tent, in a car or on the street,'' Newsom said. “The partnerships with local leaders and their innovative approaches to homeless solutions are inspiring.''
The county of Los Angeles was awarded $16.1 million for two projects, totaling 145 units with supportive services and rental subsidies to residents.
“I applaud Governor Newsom for his unwavering leadership and investing much-needed resources to combat this crisis within a crisis -- homelessness amid a pandemic,'' county Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. “We have eight motels lined up to be converted into affordable apartments with services, a key component of our COVID-19 recovery rehousing plan.''
Newsom also announced a partnership with Enterprise Community Partners, a nonprofit that develops affordable housing, to distribute $45 million in funding -- $20 million from Blue Shield of California and $25 million from Kaiser Permanente -- to support Homekey.
This funding will provide critical services like case management, job training, substance-abuse counseling and more, the governor's office stated.
Newsom announced last month that he asked the Joint Legislative Budget Committee for an additional $200 million in coronavirus relief funding for Homekey.
If approved, the Department of Housing and Community Development will provide funding for about 20 more Homekey projects now on a waitlist pending additional funds.
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