We are proud to announce the grand opening of Homekey Harbor City, a former Motel 6 that has been reimagined into permanent supportive housing. Homekey Harbor City provides 50 units—including 49 units for households who have experienced homelessness or are at high risk of experiencing homelessness—and one unit for onsite property management.
A former Project Roomkey site, Homekey Harbor City is now transformed into 50 studio and one-bedroom apartments, and includes a community room, laundry facilities, bicycle storage, parking, onsite services and management offices, pet area, and outdoor courtyard for residents.
Originally constructed as a motel in 1979, Homekey Harbor City has been fully renovated with all new interiors and exteriors; including new building and mechanical systems; structural retrofits throughout, as well as all new exterior hardscapes for parking, site accessibility, operations, community space, and security. Renovations also include mobility and communication features that modified existing spaces into four fully accessible mobility units and two fully accessible communication units.
Designed by Sparano + Mooney Architecture with construction by Walton Construction, Homekey Harbor City is developed and will be operated by Brilliant Corners, who will also provide case management services onsite to residents. Onsite property management will be provided by Solari Enterprises.
The Homekey Harbor City Grand Opening featured Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell (SD-2), who performed the official ribbon-cutting to mark the site’s opening.
“Homekey Harbor City is an example of a fundamental piece of the County’s strategy to solve our homelessness crisis by increasing permanent housing options to achieve functional zero,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “I am thrilled to support this grand opening that is the result of state and county partnerships working with Brilliant Corners to transform lives and create milestones for residents on the journey to permanent housing.”
Attendees also heard remarks from Brilliant Corners Chief Executive Officer, William F. Pickel, and Director of External Affairs, Jose Osuna, as well as from Gustavo Velasquez, Director, California Department of Housing and Community Development; Leepi Shimkhada, Interim Director of Housing for Health, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services; Jennifer Lee, Principal Analyst, Permanent Housing, Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative; and Emilio Salas, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Development Authority.
“People with disabilities face significant barriers finding housing that’s both affordable and accessible,” said William F. Pickel, Chief Executive Officer at Brilliant Corners. “So accessibility was key to creating welcoming homes at Homekey Harbor City. By preserving the existing building envelope and completing accessibility upgrades, we’ve demonstrated how an adaptive reuse strategy can quickly transform an existing built environment opportunity to create more supportive housing.”
Homekey Harbor City signifies an optimal example of state and county collaboration. Through the leadership of the California Department of Housing and Community Development on the state level, and the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative, Los Angeles County Development Authority, and Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Homekey Harbor City demonstrates the power of partnership in bringing much-needed housing to life.
“Homekey Harbor City represents the importance of state and local partnerships in breaking down barriers and addressing housing affordability and homelessness,” said Gustavo Velasquez, Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development. “As part of the Newsom Administration’s historic investments, programs such as Homekey and Homekey+ are helping to build more permanent supportive homes and stronger communities.”
“We are delighted to see Homekey Harbor City come to life and officially welcome its 49 new residents home,” said Almas Sayeed, Senior Manager of Housing and Program Support at the Los Angeles County Homeless Initiative. “It has been an honor to collaborate with our partners on this transformative project that will change the lives of the people who live here and strengthen and beautify the community for years to come.”
“The LACDA is happy to have played a role in the Homekey application and operator selection process, as part of the effort led by our partners at the Chief Executive Office-Homeless Initiative,” said Emilio Salas, Executive Director, Los Angeles County Development Authority. “This exemplifies the County family’s effort, cooperation, and commitment towards housing our most vulnerable residents.”
Residents at Homekey Harbor City will receive tailored case management services onsite, from life skills education to health and financial wellness. Funding for case management at Homekey Harbor City is provided by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services’ Housing for Health division.
“Harbor City Homekey is more than housing—it’s a foundation of dignity, stability, and hope, made possible by Brilliant Corners’ unwavering commitment to community,” said Leepi Shimkhada, Interim Director of Housing for Health, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. “The State of California’s Homekey program continues to be a bold and innovative solution to expand housing for our most vulnerable neighbors, and Housing for Health is proud to be a partner with Brilliant Corners in bringing this vision to life.”
Additional highlights at Homekey Harbor City include an art collaboration between ArtLifting and Brilliant Corners featured in the onsite services office. ArtLifting is a social enterprise creating access to the art market for artists with disabilities who have experienced housing insecurity. In displaying this art, Brilliant Corners beautifies community spaces for Homekey Harbor City’s residents, while making an impact on our broader community and creating opportunity for ArtLifting artists. Site tours conducted during the grand opening event included a spotlight on the Artlifting partnership.
The opening event also featured an opportunity for attendees to plant wildflower seeds in the community garden, and write welcome cards for the building’s new residents, as well as a tour of the site.
Homekey Harbor City was made possible by the following partners: California State Department of Housing and Community Development, County of Los Angeles Homeless Initiative, Los Angeles County Development Authority, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation, and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH).
