Project Homekey Celebrates Grand Opening

The City of Richmond celebrated the grand opening of the Civic Center Apartments on Friday, a Homekey-funded permanent supportive housing project developed through a partnership between the City and 425 Civic Center LP.  

Speakers at the event included Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, Mayor Eduardo Martinez, and Richmond City Manager Shasa Curl, who is set to retire this week.

The city acquired the former Motel 6 at the corner of 24th and Preble Avenue in 2024 and then leased the property to the development partnership for its rehabilitation and long-term operation as supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. 

The project converted the motel into permanent supportive affordable housing. The development includes 48 studio apartments for extremely low-income households earning up to 30 percent of area median income, plus one manager’s unit, for a total of 49 units.  

Richmond secures $14 million state grant to transform Motel 6 into supportive housing

Richmond has received a State of California Homekey grant to purchase and rehabilitate the Motel 6 on 24th Street into 48 supportive housing units for unsheltered individuals. Homekey, a statewide initiative, aims to provide and rapidly increase housing availability for individuals facing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless. Richmond

Grandview IndependentSoren Hemmila

Funding for the project was provided by $14.5 million from the State of California’s Homekey Program, $1 million in Contra Costa County Community Development Block Grant funding, and $10.3 million in funding from the City of Richmond.