On October 9th, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the County of Nevada is receiving $2.8 million as part of the fourth round of funding awards for Project Homekey, California’s innovative $600 million dollar 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.
Project Homekey in Nevada County: Conversion of Coach N Four Motel into Permanent Housing
Nevada County’s Homekey project is the acquisition of the Coach N Four Motel located at 628 South Auburn Street in Grass Valley. The 18-unit motel will initially continue as a temporary emergency housing for people experiencing homelessness, with a focus on families, veterans and other vulnerable groups. If the project is approved by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors at their October 27th meeting, the County plans to remodel, update and convert the Coach N Four Motel into permanent housing beginning in 2021.
“This is a great opportunity to use State money to meet a pressing community need and to focus those resources in helping homeless families and veterans,” said District 3 Supervisor Dan Miller.
The project will have on-site monitoring and supportive programming, focusing on improving current issues with the existing motel that impact the neighborhood as well as providing stability and a pathway to permanency for people experiencing homelessness. After an initial rehabilitation of the site, the first two years of operations the motel will be utilized as an interim navigation center providing housing, wrap-around services and 24/7 onsite supervision to vulnerable residents in partnership with AMI Housing. The project will seek additional funds to complete the rehabilitation of the property and convert it into permanent housing by 2025.
“This funding is critical to taking a weary motel and converting it into affordable housing for those most at risk of homelessness,” added Director of Child Support, Collections, Housing and Community Services Director Mike Dent. “While we move towards converting the property, we will partner with AMI Housing to provide 24/7 onsite supervision and engagement of the temporary guests in an effort to move them quickly into a more permanent housing solution.”
Nevada County Homelessness and Housing Projects
The Project Homekey renovation and conversion of the Coach N Four Motel into permanent housing will build upon the Board of Supervisors priorities to address homelessness and housing in Nevada County by providing 18 units of interim housing in 2021 and 2022. The project will convert the motel into an additional 22 units of affordable, permanent housing beginning in 2023 with a goal of completion of the permanent housing by 2025.
In addition to Project Homekey, Nevada County has four new affordable housing projects moving forward:
The Brunswick Commons project in Grass Valley will provide 28-units of low-income housing (rent set at 30% of Nevada County’s average median income) and 12-units of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for chronically homeless individuals with severe mental illness who are receiving supportive services from the County’s Department of Behavioral Health.
The Cashin’s Field project in Nevada City aims to create a community setting by providing the local workforce with 56 affordable long-term apartments.
With No Place Like Home funding, Nevada County plans to remodel an existing county facility to double the units count at that facility from three to six units. These units would continue to serve as housing for Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for chronically homeless individuals with severe mental illness who are receiving supportive services from the County’s Department of Behavioral Health.
The Lone Oak Senior Apartments in Penn Valley is underway to bring 31 new units of affordable senior housing, including 24 one-bedroom, and 7 two-bedroom units. The project will house low-income seniors earning between 30-60% of the median income for Nevada County.
About Project Homekey
Governor Newsom announced Homekey in June, and in July made $600 million in funding available. Of that, $550 million will provided to cities and counties by California’s direct allocation of the federal Coronavirus Aid Relief Funds, with an additional $50 million provided by the state to supplement the acquisition and provide initial operating funds. Awards will be announced on a weekly basis through October 2020. Eligible projects that did not receive funding will be placed on a waiting list in case additional funding is made available. To learn more about the HomeKey funded projects, please visit: https://bcsh.ca.gov/homekey/.