L.A. County Ramps Up Efforts to Secure Homekey Funds for Homeless Housing
$599 million investment from state coffers becomes available in 2025
Aerial view of The Sierra’s, a Homekey funded housing site for families experiencing homelessness in Lancaster, CA (Photo Credit: Los Angeles County)
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors yesterday afternoon unanimously approved a motion introduced by Board Chair Kathryn Barger to prepare Los Angeles County so it can successfully draw down millions of funds from the state’s Homekey+ program once its application portal opens next month.
Los Angeles County will be allocated $599 million, with $277 million earmarked for veterans and $321 million for general population homeless housing projects.
“This program is a golden opportunity to expand access to sustainable housing for those who need it most, including veterans and individuals with mental health challenges who have nowhere else to go and need support to stay housed,” said Board Chair Kathryn Barger. “I’m excited about this next round of funding. The state is an important partner in our local work to help our homeless off the streets and Los Angeles County needs to be ready. We need to maximize every cent.”
The County will soon embark on its fourth round of applying for Homekey funds. The program originated as Project Roomkey early in the COVID-19 pandemic. All Homekey+ project proposals must be filed by May 30, 2025. Once awarded, housing projects must be completed within 24 months. The funds support the acquisition and occupancy of hotels, motels, and other properties to house people experiencing housing.
Chair Barger’s motion directs several County departments to assess their collective readiness and develop a clear plan to leverage the next round of Homekey funding effectively. This includes proposing specific goals for creating housing units and identifying the target populations that will be served.
In Barger’s district, there are several Homekey projects that are either completed or in progress.
In Lancaster, Los Angeles County and its non-profit partner Hope the Mission converted the Sands and Tropic motels into The Sierra’s–a site offering interim housing for families experiencing homelessness. The same partnership was used to purchase the Knights Inn in Palmdale and the Americas Best Value, Bon Aire, Sahara, and T-Bird motels in Lancaster, which are all being renovated into interim or permanent housing.
As of December 2024, Los Angeles County has used Homekey funds to acquire 32 properties and offer over 2,000 units of interim or permanent supporting housing for people experiencing homelessness.
