Long Beach, California, UNITED STATES Americas
City of Long Beach Best Western Cover Image
Case Study Summary:

Project Homekey is the state's innovative program to purchase and rehabilitate housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other properties, and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Local government agencies across the city of Long Beach partnered to realize this project and reached out to developers to help with the rehabilitation of the former Best Western property. The Illumination Foundation provides support services, and the city liaised with the California Department of Housing and Community Development throughout the development and delivery process.

The property provides 102 units that people can come home to; food is provided, privacy and security needs are met, and emergency federal housing vouchers can be applied to help people who are actively looking for an apartment have a safe place to do so. The city believes that Project Homekey grants provide the necessary funds to local governments to address in a swift and effective manner the housing needs of people experiencing homelessness. ---- Interested in ULI's work on addressing homelessness? In 2022, the Terwilliger Center for Housing, with initial funding by philanthropist and entrepreneur Preston Butcher, launched the Homeless to Housed Initiative, which works to explore real estate solutions to the growing crisis impacting communities everywhere.

Learn more about the ULI Homeless to Housed Initiative.

Case Study Summary: Project Homekey is the state's innovative program to purchase and rehabilitate housing, including hotels, motels, vacant apartment buildings, and other properties, and convert them into permanent, long-term housing for people experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Local government agencies across the city of Long Beach partnered to realize this project and reached out to developers to help with the rehabilitation of the former Best Western property. The Illumination Foundation provides support services, and the city liaised with the California Department of Housing and Community Development throughout the development and delivery process.

The property provides 102 units that people can come home to; food is provided, privacy and security needs are met, and emergency federal housing vouchers can be applied to help people who are actively looking for an apartment have a safe place to do so. The city believes that Project Homekey grants provide the necessary funds to local governments to address in a swift and effective manner the housing needs of people experiencing homelessness. ---- Interested in ULI's work on addressing homelessness? In 2022, the Terwilliger Center for Housing, with initial funding by philanthropist and entrepreneur Preston Butcher, launched the Homeless to Housed Initiative, which works to explore real estate solutions to the growing crisis impacting communities everywhere.

Learn more about the ULI Homeless to Housed Initiative.

LAND USES

  • Hotel
  • Mixed Residential

SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Affordable housing
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Date Opened: 2021
Metro Area: Los Angeles
Location Type: Inner Suburban
Site Size: 102 Acres / 41.28 Hectares
Project Type: Mixed Residential
RELATED
Report

Folsom and Sacramento County California

The ULI Advisory Services panel examined how to expedite housing production in the Folsom CBD and the North Watt Avenue corridors, as those areas are designated green zones that have capacity for infill development and high potential for reducing veh...
Webinar

Net Zero Exchange Offsite Renewable Energy

The Net Zero Exchange is a scheduled series of meetings to facilitate conversations and dialogues between ULI members, District Council staff, other global experts, and HQ staff. This is intended to help promote the most innovative and/or effective b...
Webinar

From Vision to Reality

HUD’s Section 108 Loan Guarantee program provides an overview of its program and example projects pursued by communities to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Topics
Development
Centers and Initiatives
Terwilliger Center for Housing