Work has commenced on an interim housing development in Palo Alto dedicated to the homeless, with the County of Santa Clara injecting $4 million into what is known as Homekey Palo Alto as per recent news. The shelter is expected to offer temporary housing to more than 200 people annually, including on-site support services, with a projected opening date in early 2025.
The Homekey Palo Alto project is the tenth Santa Clara County venture to be granted funding from the State of California's Homekey program. This program, initiated in 2020, seeks to boost housing availabilities for those homeless or at risk. The undertaking is also among the inaugural batch to receive funding from the County's Challenge Grant program, a $40 million initiative pledged to build 1,600 temporary housing units purposed to support the homeless.
County Supervisor Joe Simitian who oversaw the inception of the Challenge Grants in 2021 together with Supervisor Otto Lee, spoke at the groundbreaking for Homekey Palo Alto. He emphasized the importance of addressing housing affordability and homelessness, noting that each stride made in combating these issues proved beneficial to county residents. Simitian emphasized the positive impact the 88 units associated with the project will have on a diverse range of residents, from senior citizens to struggling parents.
At a total cost of $37.2 million, Homekey Palo Alto has garnered funds from a variety of sources including $21.7 million from the state's Homekey program, $5 million from private donor John Sobrato, $4.5 million from the City of Palo Alto, and $4 million from the County's Challenge Grant program. The project is being spearheaded by the City of Palo Alto and nonprofit LifeMoves, at the 1237 San Antonio Road site near San Francisco Bay.
The shelter's 88 units are to be erected using modular construction, delivering a quicker build process than traditional methods and will be manufactured by Volumetric Building Companies as customized units and then shipped and assembled on-site. The units will be complemented with facilities including showering and laundry amenities, a kitchen, and outdoor areas such as a playground, garden, dog run, and picnic area according to Santa Clara County's news site.
The County Office of Supportive Housing will allocate funding toward the services provided at Homekey Palo Alto. Director of the County's Office of Supportive Housing, Consuelo Hernandez, expressed enthusiasm about the project's potential impacts, noting their eagerness to collaborate with the City of Palo Alto and LifeMoves in helping Homekey residents get settled.
Since the approval of the first Homekey project in Santa Clara County three years ago, there has been a 93% retention rate, aiding over 1,000 people into temporary and permanent accommodation. The County, alongside regional partners, has executed several initiatives aimed at addressing housing affordability and homelessness. Among these is Measure A – a $950 million affordable housing bond approved by voters in 2016 – which has funded the construction of more than 1,700 affordable housing units, with over 1,200 units currently underway.
The 2020-2025 Community Plan is also set to double the number of temporary housing and shelter beds in Santa Clara County, accommodating 2,000 additional households nightly. These efforts, along with the Homekey Palo Alto project, epitomize the sustained drive to assist the homeless and address the ongoing housing affordability crisis in the area.
