The first round of the state's Project Homekey program allowed the City and County of Los Angeles to acquire hundreds of apartments and hotel rooms to repurpose them as permanent supportive housing, representing a "rare success" in California's efforts to bring its homeless population indoors. The second round seems to have yielded even better results.

Yesterday, the City and County announced the acquisition of a combined total of nearly 1,500 apartments and hotel rooms through the program, combining roughly $450 million in state grants with local matching funds.

“Project Homekey is more than just another tool in our toolbox in the work to end homelessness – it’s an opportunity for thousands to start anew, and an injection of pride and dignity that can keep Angelenos off the street for good,” said L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement. “Thanks to this latest infusion of funds, hundreds of people experiencing homelessness today will be offered the stability of a permanent home, the safety of a door with a lock, and the services they need to get back on their feet.” 

The City of Los Angeles which packaged $209 million from Project Homekey with $157 in local matching funds, has funded the acquisition of 750 new permanent supportive housing units. Combined with funds already allocated earlier this year, the second round will generate a total of 15 acquisitions accounting for 1,235 units. When purchases from the first round of Project Homekey are factored in, the program has generated 1,467 new permanent supportive housing units at a total of 20 sites in the City of Los Angeles.

Not to be outdone, the County has secured $243 from the second round of Project Homekey, which will go toward the acquisition of 14 properties in Boyle Heights, Compton, East Hollywood, Inglewood, Koreatown, Redondo Beach, Lancaster, San Pedro, Westlake, Woodland Hills, and various unincorporated communities, creating a total of 720 units of permanent supportive housing and interim housing.

The County acquired 10 properties, totaling 847 unit, in the initial round of Project Homekey.

“With 12,500 new homes funded in just two years, Homekey is changing lives across the state,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in a statement. “Homekey’s groundbreaking success is a model for the nation, showing that we can make real progress on ending homelessness in months, not years. In partnership with cities and counties like Los Angeles, we’ll continue to safely house Californians in need faster and more cost-effectively than ever.”
 

Those totals do not account for acquisitions by other cities, such as Culver City, which has acquired two hotels on Sepulveda Boulevard, and Long Beach, which which was awarded $30.5 million from Homekey to create new interim housing.