Gov. Newsom Announces Emergency Allocation of $62 Million to Local Governments to Protect People Living in Project Roomkey Hotels

SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom Nov. 17, announced plans to immediately direct $62 million in one-time funds from the State’s Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account to counties around the state to continue providing housing to current Project Roomkey participants. The Administration is making these available immediately to local governments with Project Roomkey sites so that clients living in motel or hotel rooms under this life-saving program will not be forced to return to street homelessness while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact California.

The State has been in regular communication with all Project Roomkey counties and tribes, and the need for additional local support is clear. Since being announced in April, Project Roomkey has used CARES Act funding and FEMA cost-sharing to shelter more than 22,300 individuals experiencing homelessness and who are at highest risk of COVID-19. 

The $62 million will come from the Disaster Response Emergency Operations Account and will be provided by the Department of Social Services to counties implementing Project Roomkey on a formula basis, to be used as follows:

Project Roomkey Operations – $24 million to support continued Project Roomkey operations while local communities develop re-housing plans so that no one is forced to leave a Project Roomkey unit and become unsheltered.

Rehousing – $35 million to develop and implement plans to transition individuals from Project Roomkey into permanent housing. This money can be used for rental subsidies, case management, housing navigation and landlord incentives, among other things.

Technical Assistance – $3 million to contract with experienced housing providers to deploy housing specialists and provide intensive technical assistance to communities to help them create plans for permanent re-housing of all Project Roomkey occupants.