WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Since its launch in 2020, Homekey continues to rapidly house thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness. Today’s announcement of $156.4 million in funding will support 12 projects in six California counties and produce 556 new affordable housing units for a total of over 14,000 units created by Homekey.
SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California is awarding $156.4 million in Homekey grants to help rapidly expand the availability of housing for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
These grants will finance 12 projects across six California counties: Alameda, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Francisco, and Riverside. Collectively, the awards approved by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) bring the total of units funded by Homekey to 14,040.
“Homekey continues to demonstrate that we can build quickly, and at a fraction of the usual cost, to deliver much-needed affordable homes for Californians struggling to find a place to live. There’s still more work ahead, but the state is confronting this housing crisis head on.” Governor Gavin Newsom
Originally launched just months into the COVID-19 pandemic as an extension of Project Roomkey – to eliminate the need for congregate shelters among a particularly vulnerable group of Californians – Homekey funds additional building types and supports a broader population of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This includes young people transitioning to adulthood from foster care or an unsafe environment.
“It has been greatly rewarding to see the growth and impact of Homekey on California’s most vulnerable residents,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “To me, those 14,000 homes—while exciting—represent more than just buildings. They represent real people, and the opportunity for housing stability to greatly improve their quality of life.”
Approximately $400 million remains to be awarded from the current round of funding. HCD continues its review of applications, and grants will be announced on a rolling basis until all funds are exhausted.
Click here to see a full list of current awardees.
B-roll footage of a Homekey project can be found here.
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