Project Homekey

Project Homekey
Name	Project Homekey
Type	Housing and homelessness initiative
Launched	2020
Location	California, United States
Administrating agency	California Department of Housing and Community Development
Budget	state bond funds, federal grants, local contributions

Project Homekey Project Homekey is a California state program launched to convert hotels, motels, and other properties into permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. The initiative interacted with a range of actors including state agencies, county governments, municipal authorities, nonprofit organizations, and private developers to acquire, renovate, and operate sites for housing coupled with supportive services. It emerged amid public health crises and policy debates involving shelter, public health, and urban development.

Background and Origins

Project Homekey was established in the context of responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, concurrent policy shifts such as the passage of Proposition 1 (2018), and statewide efforts linked to No Place Like Home Program and the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The concept drew on precedents like Housing First initiatives, Supportive Housing models, and adaptive reuse projects seen in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Early implementation referenced federal frameworks including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Political figures and agencies such as then-Governor Gavin Newsom, the California State Legislature, and county boards of supervisors shaped the initial priorities and funding allocations.

Program Design and Implementation

The program prioritized rapid acquisition of existing structures—motels, hotels, and vacant residential properties—mirroring approaches used in emergency housing in locations like King County, Washington and New York City. Administrative partners included the California Department of Social Services, local housing authorities like the San Diego Housing Commission, and nonprofit operators such as Mercy Housing, PATH (People Assisting The Homeless), and Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles. Implementation involved rehab standards tied to Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility and coordination with health entities like county public health departments and providers such as Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health. The model integrated supportive services referencing evidence from National Alliance to End Homelessness and programmatic approaches applied in Veterans Health Administration partnerships for homeless veterans.

Funding and Administration

Funding sources combined state bond monies from initiatives like Proposition 1 (2018), allocations from state budgets endorsed by the California State Assembly, federal emergency relief from the CARES Act, and local funds from city treasuries including those of Sacramento, Oakland, and Long Beach. Administrative oversight involved the California Department of Housing and Community Development and coordination with regional entities such as the Southern California Association of Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Developers and investors included private firms active in adaptive reuse projects and affordable housing syndicators referenced in financing structures using Low-Income Housing Tax Credits administered through agencies like the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee.

Outcomes and Impact

Project Homekey led to the creation of hundreds to thousands of units across jurisdictions such as San Diego County, Riverside County, Santa Clara County, and Contra Costa County. Outcomes were evaluated against metrics promoted by organizations including the Urban Institute and RAND Corporation: reduced unsheltered populations noted in outreach reports from groups like Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco, linkage to services measured by providers like Community Solutions, and public health outcomes tracked by county health officers exemplified by officials in Los Angeles County. The initiative influenced local land use decisions and zoning conversations involving municipal planning departments in cities like Fresno and Bakersfield, and it became a model discussed at conferences convened by entities such as the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critics raised issues echoing debates in cases involving NIMBYism-related opposition in neighborhoods in San Diego and Santa Monica, concerns about long-term operating subsidies noted by analysts at the California Housing Partnership Corporation, and legal disputes similar to matters litigated in cases before state courts and administrative hearings involving local planning commissions. Community groups including local chapters of ACLU and tenant advocacy organizations such as St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles questioned transparency, selection criteria, and resident protections, while fiscal watchdogs compared costs to proposals by groups like Public Policy Institute of California. Controversies also referenced precedents in adaptive reuse criticized in media coverage from outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle.

Notable Projects and Case Studies

Selected conversions and operators became widely cited: a hotel conversion in Oceanside managed by Oceanside Community Housing; motel-to-housing projects in Sacramento overseen by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency; large-scale acquisitions in Los Angeles coordinated with Los Angeles County Development Authority; and clustered sites in Santa Clara County involving the City of San Jose. Other case studies referenced work by nonprofits like Abode Services in Contra Costa County and collaborations between The Salvation Army and county behavioral health departments in Riverside. Academic case analyses appeared in journals and policy briefs associated with institutions such as University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and University of Southern California.

Category:Homelessness in California