RivCo Receives $12M In Grant Funding To House Homeless

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — A $12 million grant was awarded to Riverside County in the latest round of Homekey disbursal for homeless relief projects, it was announced Tuesday.

The county was among 13 statewide recipients of Homekey Round 2 awards totaling $181 million, according to the governor's office.

"Every Californian deserves a safe place to call home," Gov. Gavin Newsom said. "We've housed thousands of individuals, and nearly every week, we're approving more Homekey projects — including today's projects, which will bring hundreds more people off of the streets and into a supportive environment with the critical resources they need."

The funds will be administered by the county's Department of Housing, Homelessness Prevention & Workforce Solutions and will be dedicated to converting a 53-room former hotel into a 52-room residence providing permanent housing for chronically homeless people, according to the governor's office.

Eligible occupants will be able to use federally subsidized Section 8 vouchers to pay their rent, officials said.

There was no word on when the project will get underway.

Homekey was enacted in the previous fiscal year and is a spinoff of Project Roomkey, which was initiated in March 2020, providing state funds to support transitional housing and shelter for homeless people at risk or exposed to COVID-19.