Homekey Brings Much-Needed Supportive Housing to Los Angeles

The Newsom Administration's Homekey program has been accelerating the development of affordable housing throughout Los Angeles and across the state, funding nearly 16,000 homes that are expected to serve more than 172,000 of the state's most vulnerable residents over the life of the Homekey projects. After the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January 2025, the region's housing needs became an even more focused priority for the communities across Los Angeles and the Governor's office. Recently opened Homekey projects are just one resource for addressing the added stress on the Los Angeles market for affordable housing.

Willow Tree

The Willow Tree Inn, a former motel in Compton, was originally purchased by Los Angeles County in 2020 using funds from the California Department of Social Services' Project Roomkey. This funding allowed the county to convert the property into interim housing intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in congregate shelters.

Following the success of this initial conversion, the site received more than $8.9 million from HCD's Homekey program to transform the property once again-this time into 100 units of permanent supportive housing and one manager unit.

The Willow Tree, developed by The People Concern (under its new affiliate, TPC Homes) in partnership with the Department of Health Services' Housing for Health division and Brilliant Corners, opened in April 2025 and now houses 100 low-income households. Residents benefit from a full range of on-site supportive services, including case management, peer support, benefits counseling, and connections to behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment.

Weingart Willows

Weingart Willows, located in the Harbor Gateway neighborhood, opened its doors to 52 individuals experiencing homelessness just weeks after the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires. HCD's Homekey program contributed more than $19 million to this hotel-conversion project, which is dedicated to serving chronically homeless individuals and those with mobility, hearing, or vision impairments requiring accessible housing.

Temple and Alvarado

In July 2025, HCD joined local leaders and residents to celebrate the grand opening of two additional Homekey projects: Temple and Alvarado. These developments were awarded a "scattered site" grant, allowing a single award to be divided between two locations for maximum housing impact. Together, Alvarado and Temple received $18.9 million from HCD's Homekey program.

Alvarado, a four-story development in Echo Park, offers 24 homes, including 10 reserved for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Originally planned as a market-rate apartment complex, the property was acquired by the Los Angeles County Housing Authority during the pandemic and converted into affordable housing.

Temple provides 41 permanent supportive homes and one manager unit, with 15 units reserved for chronically homeless residents. The building underwent extensive retrofitting to ensure accessibility and features a custom mural by local artist Hedy Torres.

Both properties include rooftop gardens and on-site case management services offered by Brilliant Corners. "Alvarado and Temple Apartments represent a unifying example of city, county, and state entities partnering together to create housing opportunities in real time for our unhoused neighbors," said Chris Contreras, Chief Operating Officer at Brilliant Corners.

The Promise of Homekey+

The success of these projects demonstrates the transformative impact of Homekey in addressing California's dual crisis of housing affordability and homelessness. Thanks to voter approval of Proposition 1 in March 2024, HCD is building on the building on this momentum through Homekey+, creating permanent supportive homes with wrap-around services for veterans and other Californians experiencing behavioral health challenges statewide. Homekey+ will continue to prioritize speed, innovation, and collaboration, ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to safe, affordable, and supportive housing. By leveraging partnerships with state, county, and local agencies, Homekey+ is helping to lay the foundation for a more resilient and equitable future for all Californians.