Redwood City – Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the County of San Mateo will receive $13.89 million to provide Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for people experiencing homelessness.
The Homekey grant will help convert a hotel in South San Francisco into 45 studio apartments along with an on-site manager’s unit. The project at 721 Airport Blvd. is key to the County’s strategy of moving vulnerable people into permanent housing to address the homeless crisis.
“To solve the scourge of homelessness, we must create more housing across San Mateo County,” said County Supervisor Dave Pine in whose district the property resides. “We have been working closely with the state, the city of South San Francisco, and other partners to secure this critical funding that will be used to house and support the people experiencing homelessness.”
South San Francisco Mayor James Coleman also praised the partnerships and the state for their roles in expanding housing in the county.
“We’d like to thank Gov. Newsom for this generous grant that is pivotal in our mission to provide affordable and permanent housing for our community members,” Coleman said. “This grant tackles the homelessness crisis head on, will get people into much needed housing, and also paves the way for a brighter, more inclusive future for our community."
The Homekey grant will be coupled with $6.75 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to renovate the four-story hotel. The development will have 45 studios for residents, which will be upgraded to include new kitchenettes with a refrigerator, cooktops, exhaust hood, counter space, and cabinetry. The renovations will also include expanding communal spaces, which will be available for resident use.
Initial plans include an estimate of seven units that will meet ADA standards for tenants with physical challenges and five units that will support those with visual and auditory challenges, ensuring safe housing that will meet accessibility needs.
Tenants will be referred through the San Mateo County Coordinated Entry System, from interim supportive housing. Tenants will pay rent based on 30 percent of their actual household income. To supplement the affordable rents, the County will support tenants with an annual operating subsidy in the form of housing vouchers funded by Measure K, a local half-cent sales tax.
The Homekey program is providing an initial infusion of $1.8 million to help pay for operations for two years, after which housing vouchers funded by Measure K sales tax revenue will provide approximately $1.1 million annually for 15 years.
Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco (ECS) will operate the property and provide on-site supportive services. ECS provides essential services to people experiencing homelessness, including operating over 2,000 units of PSH, in three Bay Area counties—San Francisco, Marin, and Alameda. 721 Airport Blvd. marks ECS’ expansion into San Mateo County.
The building will be staffed by two full-time case managers, a full-time supportive services manager, a behavioral health clinician, and live-in property management providing 24/7 staffing. Each resident will be assigned a case manager and have access to on-site support services and connections to other community resources, helping to strengthen residents’ stability and well-being; these will include education, employment, benefits assistance, behavioral health, linkages to primary health care, and peer connection activities.
“ECS is honored to partner with the County of San Mateo to help create permanent exits out of homelessness for vulnerable people living in the community,” said Beth Stokes, executive director of ECS. “We are grateful to Governor Newsom and San Mateo County leadership for prioritizing evidence-based solutions that address homelessness at its root cause. 721 Airport Blvd. will be ECS’ fourth Homekey project and we are excited to leverage our experience and expertise to help those in San Mateo County.”
Homekey originated as Project Roomkey early in the COVID-19 pandemic as an effort to provide shelter to unhoused Californians in a non-congregate setting. The program goal remains to rapidly expand availability of affordable housing to help Californians exit or prevent homelessness.
The County currently operates five housing sites purchased with Homekey assistance: Shores Landing in Redwood City and Casa Esperanza in Redwood City (both permanent supportive housing: Pacific Shelter in Redwood City and El Camino House in San Mateo (both interim supportive housing) . The state also awarded the County Homekey funds to construct and operate the Navigation Center in Redwood City which provides interim shelter.
Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
mdurand@smcgov.org