Project Homekey: Bay Area Counties Receive $73M For Housing Homeless In Final Round Of Grants
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday nearly $130 million has been awarded to help house homeless in the Bay Area and across California in the final round of "Project Homekey" grants.
The last set of grants have been awarded to nine jurisdictions, including three Bay Area Counties, for 17 projects totaling 982 units. In total, more than $835 million has been awarded for 93 projects totaling 6,055 units under the program.
"This program is an example of what's possible when we think outside of the box, work together across government and put the needs of those most vulnerable among us first," Newsom said in a statement.
Bay Area recipients of the final grants include Alameda County, which was awarded $23 million for two projects totaling 165 units. The sites would be used as interim housing while improvements are being made to create studio units for permanent housing by fall 2022.
Marin County received $18.1 million to acquire a vacant commercial property to convert it into 44 units and a 70-unit motel to convert into interim housing. Both sites would eventually be converted to permanent housing, officials said.
Meanwhile San Mateo County was awarded more than $33 million for two projects totaling 170 units, which would be used as interim housing.
Recipients of previous grants include San Francisco, which obtained $45 million to purchase and rehabilitate the single-room occupancy Granada Hotel. In early September, Contra Costa County received $21.6 million to convert the 174-unit Motel 6 in Pittsburg into a permanent support hub.
State housing officials said they received 147 applications from more than 70 entities, requesting $1.06 billion. The average per unit cost is $138,512, far below the average cost to build new housing units in California.
