Building on the success of both Project Roomkey and the first round of Homekey, Homekey Round 2 continues a statewide effort to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness, and who are, thereby, inherently impacted by COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. 

Administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD),  approximately $1.4 billion (FY 2021-22) in grant funding will be made available to local public  entities, including cities, counties, or other local public entities, such as housing authorities or  Tribal Entities within California. 

Homekey is an opportunity for state, regional, and local public entities to develop a broad  range of housing types, including but not limited to hotels, motels, hostels, single- family homes and multifamily apartments, adult residential facilities, and manufactured housing, and to convert commercial properties and other existing buildings to Permanent or Interim Housing for the Target Population. (Source: CA Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) - Homekey Program) 

Permanent supportive housing and emergency shelter are a part of an effective homeless crisis response system.  The number of persons experiencing homelessness in Thousand Oaks is growing. The City is currently hindered in its ability to effectively support our unhoused residents due to a lack of inventory of permanent supportive housing and absence of a year-round emergency shelter.  

Addressing homelessness has been a top priority for City Council since 2018. In congruence with feedback received through the City’s statistically valid 2020 Community Attitudes Survey, in which six-in-ten respondents supported the City incentivizing under-performing hotels and motels to accept temporary housing vouchers (62%), creating a temporary homeless shelter in Thousand Oaks (62%), and providing permanent housing with supportive services for homeless in Thousand Oaks (59%). City Council reaffirmed their commitment to addressing homelessness. Specifically, the Council’s unanimously approved priorities for FY 2021-22 includes “identifying and advancing solutions for emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing.” 

Moreover, the State of California has committed an unprecedented $1.45 billion to assist local entities with new permanent supportive housing and emergency shelter projects through the Homekey Program. (Source: CA Homekey Program)  

In 2020, the Thousand Oaks Police Department Homeless Count identified 242 individuals experiencing homelessness in Thousand Oaks, 198 of have roots or ties to Thousand Oaks.   

The TOPD Homeless Count is conducted at various times of day over multiple days, and leverages resources of local service organizations. It captures a more holistic count of our residents experiencing homelessness.  

The federal government also mandates an annual “Point-in-Time" (PIT).count of the homeless. The PIT count captures a snapshot of the unsheltered homeless on a single night of the year, and excludes certain sub-demographics from its methodology.  In 2020, The PIT more narrowly-focused count identified 152 homeless persons in Thousand Oaks.  

The TOPD and PIT counts both indicate an upward trajectory over recent years. Moreover, recent data shows 36% of the City’s unhoused are experiencing homelessness for the first time.  

According to U.S. Census data, approximately 26%  renters in Thousand Oaks pay more than 50% of their income on housing costs (and 46.6% of renters are paying at least 35% of their income on housing costs). Another 13.% of homeowners pay 50% or more on housing costs in the City. These households are severely cost-burdened and vulnerable to becoming homeless. In other words, about 17% of Thousand Oaks renters and homeowners pay 50% or more on their housing costs. (Sources: HUD Portal, and CA Department of Finance) 

Each of the projects will require some level of financial support from the City. It is still too early in the process and the cost estimates are not yet available. The City’s goal is to leverage and maximize non-City funds to the fullest extent possible to support the costs of developing an emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing  units.  

Staff will return to City Council with estimates before any ongoing financial commitments are made. Such commitments would also be contingent upon whether the project(s) succesfully obtain Homekey funding.    

A study commissioned by the County of Ventura  found that local governments in Ventura County are spending $37,000 - $57,000 per year on high utilizing homeless individuals per year. (Source: Homelessness in Ventura County Report) 

Other studies conducted at the national level have found that leaving a person to remain chronically homeless costs taxpayers as much as $30,000 - $50,000 per year.  (Source: U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness) 

The State of California recently conducted a study, and according to the data submitted by California Continuums of Care, over a three year time span, very few people experienced homelessness in more than one Continuum of Care.  96% of persons experiencing homelessness accessed services within one continuum of care. Of the people who did access services in multiple jurisdictions, most did so in adjacent or neighboring CoCs, suggesting homelessness within California is not a problem of migration.  

(Source: CA Business, Consumer Services and Housing - Homelessness)