Homekey hits 15,000 homes built milestone

California Construction News staff writer

Governor Gavin Newsom says the State of California has created 15,000 housing units through Homekey, a program launched in 2019.

“Homekey is a national model for rapidly creating affordable housing for Californians in need. In a few short years, this initiative has created more than 15,000 homes, to help over 163,000 people,” Newsom said. “Homekey demonstrates what is possible when people think outside the box and refuse to accept the status quo.”

Newsom toured a former Motel 6 that has been converted into 40 permanent Homekey units, primarily for veterans at risk of homelessness.

The latest awards went to Oakland, San Bernardino, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo and the counties of Lassen and Marin. Funding will support six projects in total at a cost of nearly $95.6 million and will create 396 affordable homes.

“Over a three-year period, Homekey has funded projects that will provide housing security to more than 163,000 Californians over the decades to come,” said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. “The current set of awards includes housing dedicated to veterans, and the conversion of a shuttered hospital to shelter those experiencing homelessness. This program has allowed jurisdictions to get creative with adaptive reuse of existing spaces, and with providing a full array of services that help make homelessness rare, one time, and non-recurrent.”

Homekey Round 3 grant funding – administered by HCD – is available to local public entities including cities, counties, tribes, and housing authorities to develop a broad range of housing types including hotels, motels, hostels, single-family homes, multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and modular housing, and to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings to permanent or interim housing.

HCD continues to review Homekey applications, and grants will be announced on a rolling basis until all funds are exhausted. To learn more about awardees, click here.