Bay Area cities and counties are getting $43 million in state funding for four planned homeless housing projects totaling 138 units, California officials announced Wednesday. San Mateo County, Richmond, San Francisco and Sebastopol are set to receive the grant money.
The funding will come from the state’s $3.6 billion Homekey homeless housing program. Since launching in 2020, Homekey has helped fund 259 projects that, once all are completed, will include 15,850 permanent supportive housing and shelter units.
“We are proud to stand with local partners who are serving their communities by providing much-needed housing to alleviate homelessness,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “We’ll continue to support local governments who are doing the work to ensure everyone has a place to call home.”
The latest round of Homekey funding will go to the following projects:
– San Mateo County will receive $13.9 million for a hotel conversion project at 721 Airport Blvd. in South San Francisco that will create 45 units.
– Richmond will receive $14.5 million for the Civic Center Apartments, a 48-unit hotel conversion project at 425 24th St.
– San Francisco will receive $8.2 million for a 24-unit project at 42 Otis St. to house young adults who are exiting or at risk of homelessness.
– Sebastopol will receive $6.5 million for Gravenstein Commons, a new construction project that will create 21 units.
Related Articles
Oakland police ID man killed in June 4 shooting
Federal judge: Bay Area city can enforce homeless camping law
Gov. Newsom helps clear homeless camp, issues funding threat
‘The state is doing whatever it wants:’ Homeless advocate arrested while trying to block Oakland sweep
Judge: Marin County business can’t blast music at homeless camp
Outside the Bay Area, Sacramento County, Orange County, Kern County, Riverside County, and Merced will also receive Homekey awards.
With initial funding for Homekey now close to exhausted, the state plans to expand the program using $2.2 billion from Proposition 1, a massive mental health bond California voters narrowly approved in March. Local governments will apply to receive the new money for future projects.
Despite unprecedented billions of dollars spent to combat homelessness in recent years, the Bay Area’s homeless population has climbed to an estimated 37,000. Across California, some 181,000 residents experience homelessness on a given night, accounting for nearly 30% of unhoused people nationwide.
