San Francisco Sun

San Francisco, CA – Today, Mayor London N. Breed announced that the California Department of Housing and Community Development awarded San Francisco its eighth Project Homekey grant. This grant aims to support the city's expansion of housing for formerly homeless individuals.

San Francisco’s Five-year Strategic Homelessness Plan, "Home by the Bay," sets a goal of reducing unsheltered homelessness by half over the next five years. Since 2018, San Francisco has increased its housing for the formerly homeless by over 50%, now holding the most permanent supportive housing units in the Bay Area and ranking second nationally after Washington D.C.

The latest State Homekey grant will provide $8.2 million in capital and operating funds to help purchase a 24-unit property at 42 Otis Street. This property will serve as permanent supportive housing for young people exiting homelessness. With this funding, Project Homekey has facilitated the addition of 897 new homes for formerly homeless individuals in San Francisco.

“When all levels of government work together, from federal to state to local, we can make a difference for those living on our streets,” said Mayor London Breed. “Project Homekey continues to provide a critical infusion of money to help us expand our housing options, and in this case, is supporting helping us in our work to break the cycle of homelessness for young people and get them on the right path.”

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from the State Homekey program to support our efforts to address homelessness in our community,” said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH). “The 42 Otis Street project will provide much-needed housing and support for vulnerable young adults who are experiencing homelessness, giving them resources they need to rebuild their lives.”

“Five Keys is once again proud to partner with HSH, with the support of Homekey funding, to provide crucial housing solutions for the city's transitional-aged youth and other vulnerable populations,” said Steve Good, president and CEO of Five Keys.

Casa Calibri, a similar project for young people was recently welcomed into District 11's Excelsior Neighborhood.

“We wanted to help young people struggling to end their homelessness,” said Steven Depont-Kalani, Chair of Casa Calibri Committee Advisory Board. “I would encourage other communities to have an open mind and heart in welcoming these young people to their neighborhood.”

Governor Gavin Newsom launched Project Homekey in 2020 as a strategy for addressing homelessness by providing local jurisdictions with funding to convert various types of housing into permanent residences for homeless individuals. This recent award marks San Francisco's eighth since Project Homekey began four years ago. In total, San Francisco has received $239 million through Homekey Grants.

Mayor Breed’s response prioritizes increasing shelter, housing, and services specifically targeted at young adults experiencing homelessness:

- Adding dedicated youth housing at Casa Esperanza.

- Expanding access points designed for engaging youth.

- Opening Lower Polk Youth Navigation Center.

- Providing rental subsidies dedicated for youth.

These initiatives contributed to a reported 9% decrease in unsheltered youth homelessness since 2022 according to the latest Point-in-Time Count.

The City’s FY24-26 budget includes continued investments:

- $24.5 million allocated for rapid rehousing subsidies.

- $3 million over two years ($1.5 million annually) dedicated towards flexible housing subsidies.

- $5 million earmarked for acquiring new sites aimed at justice-involved youth under Just Home Project led by MacArthur Foundation and Urban Institute.

To date, properties purchased through Project Homekey include City Gardens (200 units), Eula Hotel/Casa Esperanza (25 units), Granada Hotel (232 units), Hotel Diva (130 units), Mission Inn (52 units), 685 Ellis Street (74 units), The Margot/1321 Mission Street (160 units), and 42 Otis Street (24 units).

For more information on San Francisco’s five-year strategic plan addressing homelessness please visit [this link].