California's Homekey+ Reaches 2,905 Supportive Homes as Governor Newsom Awards $115.2 Million for 329 More in Yuba City, San Francisco, Riverside County, Lompoc and Los Angeles County
SACRAMENTO — California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in Sacramento on October 26 that Homekey+, funded by the voter-approved Proposition 1, has awarded 2,905 permanent supportive homes since its launch in 2024, including 828 homes for veterans. The state also announced $115.2 million in new Homekey+ awards to create 329 homes in five communities, 168 of them reserved for veterans.
"When California voters approved Proposition 1, they made clear that they wanted meaningful action to address homelessness and behavioral health challenges. We heard them, and we're delivering on that promise — reducing homelessness and providing our most vulnerable residents with the care they need. Every Californian deserves a safe place to call home, especially the veterans who have bravely served our country," Governor Newsom said.
Homekey+ is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and modeled on the Governor's Homekey program, which has created nearly 16,000 interim and permanent homes across the state since 2019 and served 30,000 people. Tomiquia Moss, Secretary of the California Housing and Homelessness Agency, said Homekey+ investments have funded nearly 3,000 affordable and supportive homes. Lindsey Sin, Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet), said reaching the $1 billion mark in Homekey+ awards means more veterans can find a place to call home and receive support. Gustavo Velasquez, HCD Director, said Homekey and Homekey+ have now funded homes that will serve more than 200,000 Californians experiencing the greatest need.
The five new projects are: Merriment Village Apartments Phase II in Yuba City, where the City of Yuba, in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Yuba/Sutter, Inc., will create 138 homes across four buildings with an award of just under $40.6 million, reserving 70 units for veterans facing homelessness with a behavioral health challenge, with supportive services on site; a rehabilitation of an existing 63-unit apartment building in San Francisco by the City and County of San Francisco with Swords to Plowshares, with a nearly $18.7 million award and 44 homes with supportive services for veterans; Camino Terrace in Riverside County, where the county, in partnership with Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation, will receive $16.2 million in gap funding to build 80 units, 35 of them for the Homekey+ population including 28 for veterans; Brisa Encina in Lompoc, a 49-unit community by the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara with Surf Development Company and Thompson Housing, LLC, backed by nearly $20.9 million, with 19 homes reserved for veterans; and Casa Bella in Los Angeles County, where the county, in partnership with Hope the Mission, will use an $18.8 million award to acquire and rehabilitate a former motel into 62 units, including 61 permanent supportive homes — seven of them for veterans — plus one manager's unit.
Proposition 1, approved by voters in 2024, includes a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond for housing, services, and treatment; when fully awarded, the bonds are estimated to fund 6,800 residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots. About $1.03 billion in Proposition 1 bond funds was made available through Homekey+ for permanent supportive housing serving veterans, and another $1.11 billion for projects serving all target populations. The Governor's office said California has recorded its first year-over-year reduction in unsheltered homelessness in fifteen years — a 6.8% decline, the largest numerical reduction of any state — and that annual residential construction has increased 50% since 2018. On behavioral health infrastructure, California has awarded $6.6 billion to support 535 new facilities, 9,570 beds, and 44,863 treatment slots statewide.
Related: Governor Newsom to Announce Prop 1 Update on October 30 After Record Drops in Homelessness
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于加州San Jose的可负担住房Donner Lofts公寓大楼（资料图）。Will Buckner，CC BY 2.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / The Donner Lofts affordable housing building in San Jose, California (file photo). Will Buckner, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
