Homekey Palo Alto

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Homekey Palo Alto Rendering

Rendering of proposed Homekey Palo Alto design

Rendering of proposed Homekey Palo Alto design

Homekey Project Site

A map of the Homekey Palo Alto project site and vicinity

A map of the Homekey Project Site and Vicinity

Homekey Neighborhood

Neighborhood surrounding the Homekey Palo Alto site.

Photos of the neighborhood surrounding the Project Homekey 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. If you are interested in contributing financially to this first-of-its-kind project, donations are being accepted.  

Project Details:

  • 1-acre lot at 1237 San Antonio Road
  • 88 rooms with ensuite showers and restrooms
  • State-of-the-art shelter and modular village with on-site laundry, kitchen, and outdoor spaces including a dog run, community garden, and picnic space.
  • Space for on-site counseling, vocational training, and other supportive services
  • Expected to serve over 200 people each year

Housing as a Council Priority

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.  

Project Timeline

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  1. Project Begins: The Homekey Project officially began on September 27, 2021 when Council took a series of actions enabling staff to prepare materials with LifeMoves to submit an application to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for Homekey 2.0 funds. 
  2. Resolution Amendment: On November 1, 2021 City Council amended the resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for Project Homekey to reflect updated capital and estimated operating expenses (see November 1, 2021 Council Action Minutes).
  3. Council Provides Staff Direction: Council reviewed the project on June 21, 2022, where they discussed the proposed 3-story design concept. On August 30, 2022 and August 9, 2022 the City Council discussed services for unhoused residents in Palo Alto and provided staff direction (see August 30 and August 9 Council Action Minutes).
  4. State Funding Arrives: State of California awarded $26.6 million to further City of Palo Alto and LifeMoves partnership to expand unhoused services in the community on August 24, 2022.
  5. Standard Agreement: The City signed the Standard Agreement(PDF, 404KB) with the State of California in November 2022.
  6. Project Details Finalized: The City Council will finalized the lease at the June 12, 2023 Council Meeting. Design(PDF, 94MB) of the project was finalized with LifeMoves and building permits issued.
  7. Construction Begins: Project construction originally estimated to take approximately one and a half years, is now anticipated to be completed in early 2026.
  8. Project Completion: Homekey Palo Alto 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 dignified path to self-sufficiency. 

     

Project Updates

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  • June/July 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.
  • March/April 2025 Update: In March, the contractor continued with finishing work with all modulars onsite at a staging site. A siding mockup was completed and reviewed by a waterproofing consultant and the general contractor is installing epoxy flooring and setting up permanent power as well as cabling to transfer the pump station power from PG&E to Palo Alto Utilities.
  • January 2025 Update: As of December, modular production was 100% complete and overall construction was 75% complete. More detailed information is available in the January 13, 2025 Council information item. 
  • November 2024 Update: 22 modular units have arrived in California and 5 are in transit. Activities include community center duct work and installing light fixtures, and concrete work for bike parking. Transformer testing is underway for powering the site.
  • October 2024 Update: The construction team completed paving the site, installing the roofing, exterior siding and drywalling the ceiling on the community building, installing landscaping, and installing shade sail footings, and completing siding on the elevator.
  • September 2024 Update: As of the 2nd week of September, the first modulars arrived in California from the factory in Pennsylvania, the community building underwent construction, the concrete building pads were poured and completed, and the modular elevator was installed. Additionally, 52% of construction was complete as of August 31.

 

Additional Resources

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