California Construction News staff writer
Los Angeles County is partnering with developers to convert hotels in Carson, Lancaster and Palmdale into a combined 309 studio apartments and interim housing units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, using Homekey grants.
The State awarded $90.6 million in Homekey 3.0 grants to the projects, and the Board of Supervisors committed $30.2 million to meet the “local match” requirement.
In Lancaster, Hope the Mission will purchase and renovate the Americas Best Value Inn and Suites on Sierra Highway to create 102 units of interim housing for participants of the County’s Pathway Home encampment resolution program. Pathway Home is a critical component of the County’s comprehensive response to the local emergency on homelessness the Board of Supervisors declared early this year.
In Palmdale, Hope the Mission will renovate and convert the former Knights Inn into 100 units of permanent supportive housing. Each unit will be retrofitted with kitchens.
“These new Homekey projects will provide critical housing and support services to people experiencing homelessness in the Antelope Valley and will expand our capacity to do so in a compassionate and comprehensive manner,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “I appreciate the County’s ongoing partnership with the cities of Palmdale and Lancaster, which have experienced their share of a growing homeless population.
“I am very pleased that Hope the Mission, a highly experienced developer based in the Fifth District, will lead conversion and management of these properties to meet urgent needs in the high desert region. The County is not only delivering important housing solutions, but also the critical wraparound services that stabilize people’s lives and end the cycle of homelessness.”
In Carson, the nonprofit Weingart Center Association will renovate a former Extended Stay America hotel to create 107 studio apartments, called The Weingart Primrose. It will include on-site wraparound services, various amenities such a community patio and pet area, and landscaping and security improvements. Some units will be upgraded to be accessible to people with physical disabilities.
“We must do everything we can to find safe, permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. As we continue important efforts to build new housing to address this crisis, we must also actively pursue innovative options to use existing buildings to create more immediate housing options. Project Homekey is a great opportunity to help our unhoused neighbors. We are thrilled to have the Weingart Center as an experienced partner to deliver the Primrose project in Carson,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Second District.
For more information visit: homeless.lacounty.gov.
