California Construction News staff writer
The City of West Hollywood has acquired the Holloway Motel property at 8465 Santa Monica Blvd., for an interim housing program to help people experiencing homelessness transition into stable housing.
In the coming months, the city and its architectural and construction partners will focus on completing the design, planning, permitting, and construction process to bring the structure up to code so it is safe for program participants, Ascencia staff, and the surrounding neighborhood.
In June 2022, the West Hollywood received a $6 million State of California Housing and Community Development Homekey grant and unanimously approved the purchase of the property to be converted into an interim housing program. The Holloway Interim Housing Program will be funded through state and regional resources that are matched by the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
Councillors expect the program “will make significant progress on the goals of its Homeless Initiative, created in 2016, and double available interim housing beds for adults in an expedient and cost-effective manner.”
The program “is a collaborative, common-sense solution that responds to community needs,” according to Mayor Sepi Shyne. “True stakeholder collaboration is key to the success of this program, and we’re responding to the community’s priorities by directly addressing the issues related to homelessness.
“This paves the way for city governments to cultivate a nurturing, empathetic community that uplifts and enhances the quality of life for every community member.”
The City of West Hollywood addresses homelessness with a multi-disciplinary, multi-agency, collaborative response, working in close partnership with non-profit social services providers, the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, and Los Angeles County agencies.
