HACLA Secures $2.4 Million State Grant to Renovate Maycrest Bungalows and Expand Housing Solutions for Angelenos

Los Angeles, CA - The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) has secured a $2.4 million funding award to transform the historic Maycrest Bungalows, in the community of El Sereno, under the state's Homekey+ initiative. Including this new grant, HACLA has been awarded nearly $17 million in State Homekey+ grants to expand the affordable housing supply.

This award is part of a broader $131.8 million announcement by Governor Gavin Newsom to create 443 homes statewide for Californians experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges. Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in partnership with CalVet, Homekey+ is a key component of the voter-approved Proposition 1 strategy. The program focuses on rapidly expanding permanent supportive housing for individuals-including veterans-who are at risk of homelessness and living with serious mental health or substance use disorders.

"Aligning state and local resources is a vital strategy that allows us to quickly convert available properties into permanent housing for the people of Los Angeles, especially veterans," said HACLA President and CEO Lourdes Castro Ramírez. "We are grateful to the State of California for its continued investment in Los Angeles and look forward to creating even more housing opportunities for veterans to have a stable home."

In partnership with Housing Opportunity for Angelenos, Inc., an instrumentality of HACLA, the $2.4 million award will be utilized for the complete renovation of eight bungalow-style units, including significant structural repairs, the addition of community space and a potential ADU to create at least eight permanent supportive homes. The property is ideally situated for residents, featuring a bus stop directly in front of the building and vital amenities-including a grocery store, community clinic, pharmacies, and a park-all within a one-mile radius.

"We have much more work ahead of us, but after so many years of rising homelessness, because we are taking a comprehensive approach, homelessness is down in Los Angeles," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. "This partnership with the state is strategic and addresses mental health and addiction, which have too-often been overlooked."

This latest round of Homekey+ funding contributes to a projected nine-percent drop in unsheltered homelessness statewide. To date, the program has allocated $767.9 million to support 45 projects, creating over 2,260 affordable homes.

"HCD is proud to work in partnership with the Governor and CalVet to build a foundation of support for veterans and others who are struggling with addiction and mental health," said HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez. "As this program and its impacts continue to grow statewide, California will accelerate its hard-fought progress toward preventing and ending homelessness."

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About HACLA

The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), established in 1938, provides affordable housing, rental assistance, and supportive services to more than 200,000 Angelenos. Its administrative portfolio includes 164 properties - 12 of which are public housing developments - totaling over 12,000 units, along with more than 60,000 Housing Vouchers and Certificates through the Section 8 program. For more information, visit www.hacla.org.

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