Over the past three years, Project Homekey has been one of the rare bright spots for L.A. County's ongoing effort to bring its nearly 70,000 unhoused residents indoors. The initial two rounds of funding have allowed for the acquisition of dozens of sites, creating thousands of new units of interim and permanent supportive housing.
Now, as a third round of Project Homekey gets underway, notices issued this week by L.A. County shed light on additional sites which are being developed through the program.
PATH Villas East Los AngelesUrban Architecture Lab
As one expect from the name, the PATH Villas East Los Angeles are being developed by PATH Ventures on a property located at 5010 E. 3rd Street in unincorporated East Los Angeles. In place of a used car sales business, plans call for the construction of a four-story building featuring 60 apartments, all reserved for extremely low-income persons transitioning out of homelessness. The apartments would include 59 studio units, all roughly 412 square feet in size, and one two-bedroom unit for an on-site property manager.
The four-story structure would be composed of three levels of prefabricated modular units, stacked above a concrete podium. Besides housing, plans call for bicycle parking, a lobby, a community room, offices for on-site supportive services, a laundry facility, an outdoor terrace, and sky decks.
Urban Architecture Lab is designing the project, which would rise near Metro's East Los Angeles Civic Center Station.
Hollywood Downtowner Inn at 5601 Hollywood BoulevardGoogle Street View
Just west of the Hollywood/Western subway station, the County is working with Covenant House of California on to acquire and convert the Hollywood Downtowner Inn at 5601 Hollywood Boulevard, which would be repurposed as a 30-unit interim housing facility for transition age youth. Plans call for upgrades to all fixtures and flooring, as well as the building's windows, roof, and landscaping. Its existing pool would be filled in to create a landscaped gathering space for residents.
3787 S Vermont AvenueGoogle Maps
In Exposition Park, supportive service provider Wellnest is looking to bring interim housing for transition age youth to a 7,800-square-foot site which the non-profit already owns. The Nest on Exposition would be located at 3787 S. Vermont Avenue, just south of Metro's Expo/Vermont Station, and include 24 studio units with an average size of 305 square feet, as well as one additional apartment for an on-site manager. The project would consist of a two-story building, with a laundry room, service offices, and community rooms, and housing on the first floor, and the remaining housing located above.
Optimist Youth site at North Figueroa and AnnanGoogle Street View
Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services is working with the County to convert an existing, vacant office building at the intersection of North Figueroa Street and Annan Way in Eagle Rock as additional transitional housing. The interior of the two-story structure would be transformed into 21 studio apartments, ranging from 319 to 344 square feet in size, with a lobby, offices for supportive services, , and a laundry facility.
Other projects which the County has voted to submit for funding as part of the third round of Project Homekey include:
- Motel conversion to 109 supportive housing at 13921 Francisquito Avenue in Baldwin Park, in partnership with the Weingart Center;
- Motel conversion into 107 units of permanent supportive housing at 401 E. Albertoni Street in Carson with the Weingart Center;
- Motel conversion to 122 permanent supportive housing units at 3525 Torrance Boulevard in Torrance with the Weingart Center;
- Motel conversion to 105 units of permanent supportive housing at 13420 E. Firestone Boulevard in Santa Fe Springs with Volunteers of America;
- Motel conversion to 60 units of permanent supportive housing at 42445 Sierra Highway in Lancaster with Hope the Mission;
- Motel conversion into 100 units of permanent supportive housing at 130 E. Palmdale Boulevard in Palmdale with Hope the Mission;
- Acquisition of existing multifamily building at 190 E Marengo Avenue in Pasadena to use as 15 units of youth permanent supportive housing with Beacon Housing;
- Motel conversion to 61-unit youth interim housing facility at 2037 E. Pacific Coast Highway in Lomita with Volunteers of America; and
- Acquisition of existing building for 28-unit youth interim housing facility at 3811 Woodlawn Avenue with Treehouse Impact Group.
The total value of all of the third round Project Homekey projects is approximately $320 million, according to a report to the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
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