California Construction News staff writer
Construction has begun on a new mental health treatment and housing development that will transform long-vacant buildings on the campus of Metropolitan State Hospital into a coordinated care community for people experiencing serious mental illness and homelessness.
The project, known as the LA County Care Community, will repurpose six historic buildings on a roughly 13-acre portion of the hospital campus in Norwalk. Once completed, the campus will provide multiple levels of care and housing within a single secure and professionally operated setting.
Construction work is being delivered through the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works using a design-build procurement process. Contractor Swinerton is handling renovation work on several of the existing campus buildings, including facilities that will house the treatment and interim housing components of the project.
The development will include three levels of services totaling 162 beds designed to support individuals with varying mental health needs.
Two locked Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers will provide 32 beds for young adults ages 18 to 25 who require structured and intensive clinical care in a secure therapeutic environment. Another building will house an interim housing program with 70 beds for young adults whose conditions are more stable but who still require short-term housing combined with wraparound mental health services.
The campus will also include two permanent supportive housing facilities offering 60 apartments for adults living with mental illness who previously experienced homelessness and require stable long-term housing with access to ongoing care.
A sixth building will serve as a shared community space for residents of the supportive housing units. Planned amenities include a kitchen, offices for case management and property management, wellness and flexible program areas, and a computer lounge.
Each facility will also feature a dedicated courtyard designed for its specific population, providing outdoor areas for therapeutic and recreational activities intended to support recovery and overall well-being.
The project follows state legislation adopted in 2024 that allows the State of California to lease the site within the hospital campus to Los Angeles County for redevelopment.
The LA County Care Community is intended to expand the region’s capacity to provide treatment, transitional housing and long-term support for people living with severe mental illness while helping address homelessness in the region.
