Los Angeles County has opened its latest Homekey project, Aviation Apartments, with its nonprofit partner, Venice Community Housing. Among the new tenants are people who participated in the County’s first Pathway Home encampment resolution, conducted in nearby unincorporated Lennox.
Aviation Apartments is a former hotel in the Del Aire neighborhood which has been converted into 47 homes for people who have experienced homelessness.
“These Homekey housing sites, diverse in geography and populations served, are helping to provide critical housing in our fight to end homelessness,” said Supervisor Holly Mitchell. “Thank you to the Del Aire Neighborhood Association for working with our office, the County’s Homeless Initiative, and community partners.”
Residents receive wraparound supportive services provided by trained, professional social service teams and health care partners. Services include mental and physical health services, employment counseling and job placement, education, substance use counseling, money management, assistance in obtaining and maintaining benefits, and referrals to community-based services and resources. In addition, there is an onsite, full-time property manager. As a transit-oriented development, residents enjoy easy access to the Metro C Line and bus routes.
Initially launched to protect vulnerable residents from the COVID-19 pandemic, Homekey makes grant funding from the state Department of Housing and Community Development available to cities, counties, housing authorities, tribal entities and other local public entities to acquire and then convert hotels, motels, multi-family apartments, and more, into permanent or interim housing.
To date, LA County has been awarded Homekey grants to acquire 32 properties, mostly hotels and motels, with a combined 2,157 units to convert into interim or permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Pathway Home is an LA County Homeless Initiative-led encampment resolution program that is a critical component of the County’s comprehensive response to the local emergency on homelessness adopted by the Board of Supervisors in 2023. The first operation, conducted in Lennox, brought 59 people indoors.
By leveraging emergency powers and partnerships with local jurisdictions, Pathway Home is a full-circle solution that brings people off the streets into immediately available interim housing accompanied by a comprehensive suite of supportive services and, ultimately, into safe, permanent homes.
