MLK House Receives Homekey+ Funding
Last month, California’s Housing and Community Development Department announced Homekey+ funding for hundreds of new permanent supportive homes across the state focused on supporting veterans, and MLK House was among the awardees, and will receive $4.6 million in state funding.
Developed by Insight Housing, the project renovates a century-old converted house near Ashby BART Station; its 12 current SRO-style units will be converted into 11 units with kitchenettes plus a services office and outdoor amenities to provide stability, care, and permanent housing for formerly-homeless veterans living with behavioral health challenges. MLK House is slated to be the nation’s first Board and Care building dedicated to the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program.
The Homekey+ program resulted from Proposition 1, a behavioral health bond measure passed by voters in 2024. The bond expands mental health care and housing for veterans and other people experiencing homelessness with wrap-around services, modeled on California’s pandemic-era Homekey program. On October 16th, Governor Newsom announced funding awards to 21 projects across the state comprising over 700 permanent supportive homes. A segment of these, Board and Care homes provide meals and personal assistance to smaller multifamily communities.
Insight Housing is a Berkeley-based services and affordable housing developer dedicated to building pathways out of homelessness. The organization worked in partnership with the City of Berkeley and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to develop MLK House. Additional project funding was previously awarded by the City of Berkeley.
