Rendering of proposed Homekey Palo Alto design
A map of the Homekey Palo Alto project site and vicinity
Neighborhood surrounding the Homekey Palo Alto site.
Homekey Palo Alto is a new modular interim housing shelter with the capacity to serve over 200 individuals annually with on-site support services. The project is being codeveloped by the City of Palo Alto and LifeMoves.
Located at 1237 San Antonio Road in Palo Alto near the Palo Alto Baylands, Homekey Palo Alto will provide a dignified transitional step for unhoused residents on the path to stable housing. This project is made possible through a combination of State funding combined with local contributions from the Palo Alto Community Fund, The Peery Foundation, Sobrato Philanthropies, Santa Clara County, and the City of Palo Alto for a total project cost estimated at $37.2 million.
This is a first of its kind project for Palo Alto and will be operated by LifeMoves who will provide intensive, customized case management for clients including counseling, employment and housing search services with the goal of paving a path to self-sufficiency. LifeMoves is partnering with an award-winning team to build Homekey Palo Alto, led by Devcon Construction. As part of the funding agreement with the State of California, funds may only be used for construction and operation of interim housing and construction must be completed within 12 months. The State approved an extension to spring 2025.
Project Details:
Palo Alto City Council adopted Implementing Housing for Social & Economic Balance as a priority for 2025 and had previously adopted similar housing priorities. This continued focus on housing showcases the City's commitment to supporting affordable housing in Palo Alto.
Palo Alto has long been a leader in producing affordable housing in Santa Clara County, with approximately 2,300 units or ~9% of total housing stock in Palo Alto is dedicated to affordable housing (deed restricted). Homekey Palo Alto joins several other notable local affordable housing projects, including Wilton Court and the 231 Grant Educator Workforce Housing project.
April 2026 Update: The Homekey Palo Alto Community Celebration and Open House is scheduled for Thursday May 14.
March 2026 Update: At the Homekey site, fire alarm work and sprinkler inspections are in progress, and decking fire protection and PV work are complete. Plumbing testing and switch over of power from PG&E to Palo Alto is in progress. Additionally, the interim shelter LifeMoves is operating at a Sunnyvale motel until Homekey Palo Alto opens is now full, supporting 58 single adults and 22 families.
January 2026 Update: LifeMoves is operating an interim shelter at a Sunnyvale motel until Homekey Palo Alto opens. The priority for placement in Sunnyvale is Palo Alto affiliation, and clients will be moved to Homekey Palo Alto when it opens
November 2025 Update: At the end of November, a crane was erected at the Homekey site to install decking and steel. Installation and landscaping work continues, including critical path work installing steel for elevated walkways. The General Contractor and a subcontractor are working to resolve a payment dispute that stopped non-critical path painting work.
September 2025 Update: Crews are continuing modular finish work, including the “belly band” exterior finish, siding, painting, and interior connection points between modular units; the steel decking subcontractor began attaching brackets, electricians are onsite installing fire alarm cabling and pulling feeder lines to units, plumbers are installing connections, and work is starting on the rails for the solar panel system.
June/July 2025 Update: Several key milestones were recently achieved or upcoming, including initial modular unit setting in late June, followed by other construction tasks such as stair and decking installation through the summer. The project team is estimating construction completion now by early 2026 after impacts of construction delays. The project has successfully navigated unique challenges associated with modular construction and worked closely with the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to minimize impacts related to state timing regulations on the funding. A strategic shift in modular production from a planned facility in Tracy, CA to subcontractor VBC’s main manufacturing factory in Berwick, PA was made to prioritize quality. This adjustment, while slowing progress, has resulted in enhanced quality. Early delays were also attributed to the integration of specialized cast iron plumbing and staffing shortages at the factory. Currently, the focus is on ensuring high-quality finishing of the modular units and on safe delivery and placement on-site. In late June 2025, the first modulars were set at the San Antonio Road site.