The Antelope Valley Times

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LA County receives $12.9M to convert 2 Lancaster motels into homeless units

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Governor Gavin Newsom at a Sacramento motel where he launched Project Homekey in 2020. [File photo via gov.ca.gov]
LANCASTER – Los Angeles County received $12.9 million from the state for the Sierra Highway Hotel project, which will convert two adjacent motels in Lancaster into interim housing, providing 38 units and supportive service space for people who are homeless, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.

The governor’s office said the Lancaster motels need rehabilitation, but could welcome residence within eight months of the funding being received.

The grant is part of Project Homekey, a state program to create permanent housing in apartment buildings, hotels, and motels for people who are homeless or at-risk of being homeless. The state so far has approved a total of 55 projects, creating 3,195 housing units for people experiencing homelessness.

Newsom on Wednesday also announced that Los Angeles County received $5.5 million to purchase a 20-unit hotel, which needs to be rehabilitated, and turn it into interim housing with supportive services for homeless families. Project Homekey grants were also awarded to the cities of Berkeley and Arcata, as well as the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County and the Yurok Indian Housing Authority. The grants are expected to create a total of 232 units.

“Homekey is proof that we can solve homelessness,” Newsom said in a news release. “We’ve swiftly created safer places to live for thousands of unhoused individuals throughout the last two years and today’s awards continue that progress — creating 232 housing units for folks experiencing homelessness across the state and providing them with the supportive services they need.”

The governor’s office said officials will announce more Project Homekey grants in the coming weeks. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted. The state expanded the program with a $2.75 billion investment last year, with a goal of creating 14,000 long-term housing units. The state began the program with an $846 million investment.

“It’s encouraging to see so many great Homekey projects brought forth by our local partners,” Department of Housing and Community Development Director Gustavo Velasquez said. “Our staff continues to work diligently to review many applications and provide assistance to jurisdictions so we can help individuals in need in every corner of the state. This is the coordination that we need to work our way out of this homelessness crisis.”

The Department of Housing and Community Development has created the Homekey Awards Dashboard where Californians can track Homekey project awards by dollar totals, project type, progress and region. The dashboard is updated in real time as additional projects are approved.

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126 comments for "LA County receives $12.9M to convert 2 Lancaster motels into homeless units"

  1. What are the pimps going to do now? Where will they move their human trafficking, drug sales and prostitution organization? That is their demographic home and business.

    • LOL…caught in jury duty?

      I think it is a fair bet that you have never heard me speak a word, so making a slander charge stick would be a pretty tough trick, but go ahead and state your case.

      Oh, yeah, you are just mindlessly tossing accusations with no substance. Carry on making a spectacle of yourself then.

      • Tim it wouldn’t be the first time a jury has found you guilty. While you may think you’re a reformed felon, your views and opinions show that you only traded one extreme view set of values for another. You lack moral integrity. It’s just something you were not born with.

        • LOL…yet another pretends to know me. Well, not really another, probably the same old Mike.

          Go fall out of a helicopter.

        • Ad hominem assaults with no basis in reality do not an argument make and show a lack of both logical intelligence and moral integrity.

    • Hey Bongo:

      If I read your post correctly, what you are saying is that all the slandering done here against Tim Scott is a pack of lies, right?

      • How the hell did this get here? This should reply to Bongo. The posting system is on hallucinogenics.

  3. … the Antelope Valley melting pot, Newsom’s favorite dumping ground for his oddballs, weirdos, creeps and pedophiles, what better place than Sierra Highway? Seediest motels Newsom’s slush funds can buy, that’s what he has in mind for “the homeless” (e.g., illegal aliens).

  4. No one should Judge no one knows another person’s story. You just never know what life can bring you.You may end up being a homeless person one day.

  5. These same idiots b i t c h ing about how much money being spent are the same ones driving around in their 3 mile per gallon Excurs-iditons and b i t c h i n g about 7 dollar a gallon gas.

    Try being homeless living in a desert filled with a bunch of drug addicted thieves and chomos who have nothing better to do but fuck up every chance you can get to get yourself in a better place like I did and the come back here and b i t c h to me about your 10% state tax. If it wasn’t for Project Homekey I would still be stuck out in that God forsaken hell hole. Im sorry a fraction of a percent of the money you already agreed to have taken from your check went to a program that’s so offensive to your high class sensibilities. Why don’t you go find a better paying job if you’re so damned strapped for cash? Oh wait.. not that easy is it?

    Pricks.

  6. subsidizing the homeless in lancaster ($13m LOL) will result with more homelessness in lancaster. they know this

    • Congratulations. That has got to be the absolutely stupidest comment on this posting… And that is truly saying a lot, considering your competition.

      • lol Stinger, Anytime someone makes a remark like yours I have to look to see if it was one of my comments.

        • Believe it or not, I hold your response in much higher regard than the one above.

          I wouldn’t call you stupid, FWB… Misguided, trolling, poor perspective, obtuseness, speaking from real ignorance of a given subject, drank the kool aid, another trumplican, etc., etc.? Most assuredly, yes. But, stupid? No. ;-)

      • “Congratulations. That has got to be the absolutely stupidest comment on this posting… And that is truly saying a lot, considering your competition.”

        But Stinger, I haven’t weighed in yet. As the winning competitor many times, I should at least have been consulted and asked for my competitive comment before you designated a winner. Unfair! My stupid comments deserve consideration too!

  7. Well this sucks. Me and my girl are working and myb20 year old daughter and its really rough out here for us. Give me free shelter and other amenities like you give out to this [removed] people. They run down your projects into the ground.

  8. let’s see 12.9 million for 38 units, uuhmmm, seems to to be about 340k per for an already existing structure, seems to me whoever gets the contract will have a nice windfall, of course don’t forget the overage that will come on at the back end. But of course this is projected on the facts given in the article-beside the upkeep and support staff will be compensated on the above 12.9, but suppose they will be eventually become employees of the county/city then the local taxpayers payments will be double dipped to pay for the mess.

    • Now THIS is a reasonable concern and what we should be looking at. How effectively is our tax money going to be spent on a real problem in our community? As you correctly pointed out, the math works out to some concerning sums. Is the 340K per unit going to go to strictly renovations, or does this include funding for services? Also, questions about pass-through vs direct state payments for the services are reasonable, as well.

      Yes, we need to address this issue immediately, but not just throwing money at it without a plan… Which I seem to have trouble finding in all of the rhetoric.

    • $340K is actually on the cheap side for this type of stuff. Go look at what it’s costing in LA. Upwards of $600k per unit. They’ve spent over $130M on five projects so far

      • Y’know, I decided to take your advice and did a little research… According to just about every source, $340K would be outrageous for even the most luxury of hotels. Here, I’ve included a link for a guide to hotel renovations from the last year available that I could find, 2018. On page 85, it shows the range of expected costs for the various renovations for a luxury suite. IF you give the widest latitude with the numbers, you end up with about $320K – for a 5-star hotel, mind you.

        chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/viewer.html?pdfurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hospitalitynet.org%2Ffile%2F152008458.pdf&clen=9138415&chunk=true

        IF said expected costs include services, then it may be an appropriate figure. If not, then I gots me some questions!

  9. This is a great plan because Lancaster already has the prison, so it’s wrapping up all the lower class poor people in one city.

  10. Ever a wonder Why Migrant Workers Are Never Homeless Or Hungry ??? Because They Are Always Working Year Round Doing The Hard Jobs That Nobody Dares To Do “ If Only The Homeless Could Try Doing What They Do “
    So Sad But True “ A Working Bee Is Better
    Than A Lazy Queen Bee

    • I’m personally homeless due to a car accident that has caused spinal, neck and hip pain constantly, and disability being denied to me.. so not being able to stand or sit for a long period of time doesn’t help to keep a job.. not lazy just injured.. hurtful you judge so hard not knowing someones TRUTH in a situation… IT COULD BE YOU ONE DAY BE KIND

      • I am so sorry you have suffered such loss. Most people that have not been through such atrocities do not have the capacity to understand the heartache and grief of another. There is no empathy for each other.

      • You receive more money than my vet step dad 91, who worked his whole life. This is just wrong .sorry …but I make sure he is taken care of. He makes 1700.00 a month SS. You now will make way more , not to mention yiur medical I pay for

          • If you are referring to me? I feed people living in the desert near me , don’t even go there. These people will never live in these homes , they like freedom…which is most homeless .

      • There Are So Many Hard Working Disabled Americans
        That Are Working Nation Wide
        They Are Crippled On Wheelchairs Doing Clerical Jobs And Even Retail Jobs “ I Know
        I Trained Them “ They Are So Proud To Be Tax Payers And Continue To Be Strong Minded
        And Able Bodied No Matter What The Cost “ As For Self Pity Folks That Whine About A Back And Neck Pain Be Thankful Your Not On A Wheelchair And Have Both Legs “ You Only Qualify For Disability If Your Truly Disabled
        Even A 4 Hour Job Can Help If You Can’t Stand For A Few Hours
        WORK CURES THE MIND AND SOUL “ KEEP AMERiCA STRONG GET A JOB

      • Oh My Your Lucky Your Not On A Wheelchair Which So Many Disabled Hard Working Americans Are ! I Know I Work With Them ! None Of Them Feel Sorry For Themselves And Always Tell Me They Rather Work Than Stay Home And Bitch About Thier Back Pain ! Instead Of You Trying To Collect Disability For A Minor Back Problem And Are Truly Disabled The Social Security Department Would Of Approved Your Case A Long Time Ago Whining Liar !!!!

    • Some of the homeless aren’t capable of holding a job due to mental health issues. Some, I admit, are just plain lazy. Others have been dealt a shitty hand for a short time and are trying to climb back up and there are some that choose to be on the street. But before you generalize all homeless people and say some ignorant remark like that, make sure you know all the dynamics to every homeless person’s situation, or you’re just going to look and sound stupid like you just did.

        • Pathetic And Ignorant Makes You The True No It All Just Because You Agree With A Basket Case Doesn’t Make You The Queen Of Comments Shut Your Trap Next Time Karen !!!

      • So Sorry To Hear Your Homeless And Have Serious Mental Issues Hopefully You Can Qualify For A Mental Disability Program Where You Can Be Admitted To A State Hospital Good Luck And God Bless You Ronald Reagan Closed So Many During The Early 80’s That’s Why So Many Folks Like Yourself We’re Forced To Live In The Streets : (

    • Let’s just help hose who want to be homeless , ever wonder why Newport Beach there are no homeless? They move em out . Our rural areas only care about grants etc. these people will now make more than my step dad, who worked his whole life and is a vet. He lives with me , we make it work….I feel anyone who lives in these should work doing something , instead of doing drugs

  12. There is so much empty land in the AV maybe the two motels/hotels can be built on some of that land. Whatever you decide make sure it is supportive housing with facility rules. Maybe you don’t rent to the people until they show they are willing to go through extensive case management, i.e., obtain their mental health services, get stabilized on their medication,; go to drug rehabilitation, detox from alcohol, and then transition into housing and get their funding in order (payee if needed) or job. We don’t need to house more people that are just hanging out, getting high, tripping, tweaking, psychotic pissing and shi&^%$$ everywhere and destroying our community. If they want housing they need to maintain the housing by being responsible adults. Enough with the “crap” housing homeless people with no plan for future sustainability. REALLY HELP THEM! – NOT JUST HOUSE THEM! If you need support with case management you may contact Change Lanes Support Services. The potential homeless people are homeless for a reason, the majority have alcohol and drug problems that have escalated into mental health problems, and physical problems. Interview them and make sure they are ready for change. If they ready they will be willing to go to psychiatrist, get medication, detox or go to drug rehabilitation, etc.

    • Excellent comment. I would add that there are those that have a severe mental illness and they have no alcohol or drug problems. There are also a great amount that have PTSD from the war with many having accompanying physical injuries sustained. There are many circumstances that can lead to homelessness besides alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness and veterans. Most people are 1 to 3 paychecks from being homeless. A car accident, illness, injury or job loss could cause them to lose their home.

    • Let’s get housing for retired seniors who lost homes, and kids have taken them in. Give us some dignity back. We work 30 years only to live in kids home. Shame we can’t have our own space. I’m not talking about a 700 sq ft studio for 1200 a month. Give Us a housing complex.

      • Reply to Josie : (Retirement)
        Totally Agree you serve 30 years plus on a public job …you make a dime over can’t get assistance.. can’t afford the mortgage..because your taxes ,electricity Gas,water go’s up then your forced to move with kids family members.. homeless love the

    • I agree rehabilitation is a must. It’s unfortunate that the sheltered homeless in transition gets overlooked and tossed to the side. They have worked extremly hard on their mental health issues and/or substance abuse issues. They often have to wait even longer for housing. Because if your not living in a encampment or a tent they feel you don’t need to be housed and can’t get the help they need because they’re not considered a priority.

    • Again they will make more than my 91 yr old step dad, who worked his whole life and a vet, just wrong imo

    • I totally agree with this writer..help the ones that want to be helped…they need to be able to go through steps in order to qualify..we dont need Antelope Valley to be known as the homeless city..

    • You are a sick individual !! Why do you think that these people are homeless in the first place? Because of people like you who choose to put them through all the criteria that you are describing them to ‍♂️ go through it seems as though you are a privileged person

    • To All The Hard Working Americans
      That Hold 2 Jobs And Are Forced To Sleep In Thier Cars Due To Evictions
      For Not Being Able To Pay $1,800 For A Small One Bedroom Apartment!!!
      Tell Newsome To Lower The Rent
      And Built Low Income Housing For Hard Working Americans Instead !!!

      • “Tell Newsome To Lower The Rent”

        HOW would he do such a thing? Seriously, folks – use your brains instead of just parroting memebots.

    • You wonder what driving down Sierra Highway will look like? Not much different than now. Hookers, panhandlers and run down hotels. Rexville.

  15. I wonder how many hotels they’ll use in Santa Clarita? Calabassas? Agoura Hills? Westlake Village? Pacific Palisades?

    Oh…nevermind!

    I can’t believe the city of Lancaster is letting this happen?

    • LOL

      Some cronies of Wrecks almost certainly will turn out to be the owners of the motels in question.

    • I agree. Somewhat depressing.
      These motel owners want to cash in before high speed rail mows down the area.

    • That’s only a small percentage of homeless people in LA county. What about building tiny homes? There’s plenty of land out in this Antelope Valley desert. Use Habitat for Humanity to help build them.

      • Voting is around the corner. Vote the Lancaster politicians out that are allowing this. Call City Hall, get involved. They do it because the citizens don’t speak up.

        • If I am “one of the most ignorant people posting here” how come I know that Lancaster just had their city elections and you don’t?

          Wow.

          • And you claim to not live in Lancaster.. I’d say that’s a good job staying up on local politics.

            I don’t pay much attention to anything happening in Lancaster.

          • You don’t seem to pay attention to anything happening outside your own fevered imagination.

        • Another NIMBY-boy… Ya gonna go for a ‘whatabout’ next? Y’all always have some bullschnit excuse to NOT do what needs to be done… All while yelling about ‘responsibility.’

          The homeless are already here. Their numbers are growing at an unbelievable rate. Even the blind can see this. This must be dealt with… Here. Now.

          Now, get off your [removed] and come up with some better ideas if you don’t like these.

        • You’re an unapologetic optimist full of rainbows and joy, huh? I think it’s much worse than that, LMFAO.

          Seriously, if anyone can lead us into the depths of hell. it’s sleepy, creepy, corrupt Joe Biden. And it’s only been 15 months \_O_/ WTF?

          • Optimist? Only after planning to make my pessimistic side happier… No, it’s more of grim determination to not let the evils of ignorance, obtuseness, and stupidity win. That’s the windmill I tilt at, my friend.

            As for your second paragraph: pure political hyperbole with no logically supported basis for any agreement.

          • With all due respect my intelligent friend:

            I was replying to FWB’s comment, but since you mention it……lol.

            Look around. The country is in trouble with inflation, crime, debt, shortages, racial animus, immigration and the world burns. Don’t be obtuse and go into denial. Joe is “leading” (lol) the country and the world to ruin. Unless you like what’s going on lately. We were much better off under Trump and his mean tweets. I don’t see how any objective person could refute that.

          • Don’t waste your time,
            Stinger is wack.

            Your standard issue,” your all stupid and we are the intellectuals in the room” chit lib.

            Standard issue.

          • I disagree. Stinger is very intelligent and always presents his points with logic and class. We just happen to have different opinions.

  17. People complain about the homeless, complain about any resolution to intervene on the homeless problem….complain complain complain… complain about the disrespect to the flag, but yet some of the homeless are veterans, maybe instead of just crying you should share your attempt at resolution to the problem.

      • Off to Texas, where bigots run the state? Or one of the moocher states where the only infrastructure is whatever the feds provide using tax money from elsewhere and all the deadbeats sit around waiting to OD on opioids? Tell us David, what’s your preference?

        • Are you saying Texas has a higher OD rate than California? Because that would be wrong California is almost double what Texas OD rates are.

          • No I was talking about places like Arkansas, West Virginia, etc, where there is no employment because there has been no education for decades so everyone sits around watching Fox News and popping pills.

          • So everybody in Arkansas, West Virginia etc. Just sits around and pops pills while watching Fox News….

            Gotcha.

          • You need to expand your horizons. There’s a lot of good reasons that fly over country gets flown over.

          • True ignorance is anyone that would waste their time debating Tim Scott.

            However I am considering voting democrat to speed up the State’s spiral down the toilet.

    • Let’s move em out like other communities do. It’s proven most want to be homeless. Now we are paying for this crap. I have been feeding a lady for years who lives in the desert, she loves it .no drugs , etc . This will be flop houses now

      • “It’s proven most want to be homeless.” Please provide peer reviewed evidence to support this statement.

  18. This is the most stupid government I have known. Even if we go with the numbers in this article, each unit will cost north of $60K, but we all know those numbers are going to go up. For what? People that don’t want to leave in a home? Maybe a few want to go back to a normal life, but most don’t.

    Why does the government use taxpayer money to fund these projects when there are so many things that people who actually pay taxes need to continue working, eg. better transportation routes to the SF valley where most people work, or bringing work to the Antelope Valley, or projects to make sure there is enough water ALWAYS, not only when we have a good raining season, etc.

    • Well said, my thoughts exactly! They should clean up the Antelope Valley not continue trashing it, build more schools, bring more affordable housing to those already in the AV struggling to buy a home, we need more jobs so single parents like me don’t have to commute. There are so many other ways to spend money in the AV.

      • Or, hey, just give it to me. I don’t need it particularly, but as long as everyone else is only looking for ways to spend it that benefit themselves why not cut right to the chase.

        • Don’t be fooled by these feel good public relations stories. Foreigners’ seedy motels or hotels with a history of o.d. or murders are selling out to the cities and counties for those places to be turned into project homekey flophouses run by sketchy non profit operators. The alcoholic & drug addict parasites are not the ones that benefit from the taxpayer’s monies. It’s all the crooks with their fists in the money pot. Those homekey flophouses remain in desrepair, infested with bugs, and house filthy parasites who choose not to be rehabilitated. Even some of the fake security staff are former unemployable dregs who have gang affiliations and still connect drug dealers with users. At the beginning of April a woman was stabbed to death at what used to be a Motel 6 in Harbor City after her complaints of harassment were repeatedly ignored. Is anyone noticing that the Gov in Sacramento is not spreading money around for old people who have never been alcoholics & drug addicts? The old people’s crime of course is that on their fixed income they cannot afford to budget more than $300 for rent and they are no longer hired to work at their frail age. No safe apts. in safe communities for them. No compassion from the Nimbys for them. No stimulus money for them from the state’s surplus either.

  19. Hmmm… I seem to be unable to locate which hotels are to be converted.

    To be fair to the AV Times Staff, it does not seem to be readily located on the state site, either.

    • It said on Sierra Highway. My guess is it will be the ones between the liquor store and UAV?

      • I can just imagine what it will soon look like driving down Sierra hwy. Set them up at Newsome house

        • Why? Are they from his area?

          Look, NIMBY-boy, we have a responsibility to our own community to deal with this issue and your boneheaded memebot comment does nobody any service.

          Now then, do you have any actually constructive suggestions?

          • “Now then, do you have any actually constructive suggestions?“

            I do,
            Let them stay with you and Tim at your homes, or maybe you two can build them some homes,

            WTH are you doing about it if your so invested in a solution.

          • Wow, Sonya… you’re gonna have to do better than that pathetic bit of illogic. I’m rather disappointed, really.

            Why don’t you try again after you manage to get more than one brain cell working at a time.

            We’ll wait…

          • How can you be disappointed? EVERY TIME SONYA POSTS it is inane drivel just like that one. That’s like being disappointed that the sun rose in the east again.

        • “we have a responsibility to our own community to deal with this issue“

          I’ll ask again cause using an insult as a response says more about you then me, WTH are you doing to to help your community and deal with this issue?

          • If you don’t want an insult in response don’t post inane things like “put them at your house hur hur hur.”

            I understand that I am suggesting to a Trumpist that they take responsibility, which is a lost cause, but what the heck, gotta try.

          • That is an irrelevant question, intended to deflect and redirect away from the subject by ad hominem. Any actions I may, or may not, take, or have taken, in regards to this growing community issue have no bearing on the subject at hand. Which is why I haven’t asked any of the other people posting here such a pointless question.

            Now, a fair question might be what suggestions I might have in regards to the issue, as a whole, but this article, and the supporting links, present too little information for a cogent debate on details for this particular program – a failure of transparency by the parties involved, to be sure.

            As I expect your next lack of pithiness to be what my suggestions may be, here’s one… I might suggest a multiply staged program for those who want to escape the misery of the streets and get back on track with their lives. This would start with emergency housing and immediate assessment for services, with a case manager (with alternate) assigned to help guide the participant through an approximate 5 year program leading to reentry into the social contract with the participant having accomplished: Substance abuse freedom, reunited with family, a degree, a career (not just a job), and homeownership.

          • We’re not the ones claiming responsibility for homeless folks,

            You guys are, again like always no answer to the question, just talk while you both sit and do nothing.

            I know one thing I did lately, went to the recorders office to record a real estate document and there was a $100 fee on top of the normal $18 fee to file the document, so I donated $100 to the cause.

            Again WTH have you two done except insult those who don’t think they are responsible for housing these folk or believe they don’t even want to be housed?

          • I have corrected ignorant people who try to claim that paying the expenses of life equates to making charitable donations.

          • Oddly, the moderators let through the insulting response, but stopped the logical and polite one.

          • Read Sonya’s comment. She apparently paid some typical recording fee at a county office (paying life’s expenses) and is claiming that as “doing her part for the homeless.”

            I used my phone today. There are telecommunication taxes. I am sure some sliver of that in some way helps the homeless. I’m doing my part.

            That was Sonya “logic” right there.

          • I would love to respond, but the moderators seem to have a problem with letting rational responses that don’t include insults through, but have no problem in allowing the insulting ones through.

            I am growing suspicious of the moderators’ intent.

          • I got your response stinger and I thought it was a good one, any ideas at this point should be entertained.

            Tim,
            A $100 fee for recording a $18 document is not typical by any means.
            Those aren’t normal expenses, maybe a $15 fee, but damn.

            Life’s expenses, lol.

          • Ah! The moderators, in their wisdom, chose to allow through my response of several days ago. Please scroll up to April 16 at 7:43 am.