Ukiah hotel to house homeless
$9.6 million provided from the state
Mendocino County will receive $9.6 million from the state to buy a Ukiah hotel and create 56 new units of housing for those without homes, a press release from state Sen. Mike Mcguire (D-healdsburg) announced this week.
Mendocino County Chief Executive Officer Carmel Angelo confirmed Wednesday that county officials were considering three hotels within the city of Ukiah for possible purchase. In the closed session items for the Aug. 18 meeting of the county Board of Supervisors, the addresses of three hotels were listed as: the Motel Six at 1340 N. State St., the Motel Six at 1208 S. State St., and the Best Western at 555 S. Orchard Ave., which is next-door to the Redwood Community Services administration building.
When asked which hotel the county was buying, Angelo said the Board of Supervisors would be voting on the purchase at its next meeting Sept. 22, and she did not feel comfortable revealing the location before then.
“But I can say that it was determined to be the best location, close to Highway 101, and it is within the Ukiah city limits,” said Angelo.
In a Thursday press release, Mendocino County officials declared that they were “in negotiations to purchase a motel on Orchard Avenue (that it intends) to utilize to provide transitional housing for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. All rooms will remain in their initial configuration as studio-style units. While the initial purpose of the facility will be transitional housing, the county plans to upgrade at least 50-percent of the facility into permanent housing within ten years of acquisition.”
According to Sen. Mcguire, the $9.6 million state grant for Mendocino County is just part of “the
first round of state funding for Project Homekey — $76.4 million out of a total of $659 million.” His office described the program as “an innovative initiative from the State of California to assist local cities and counties in purchasing and rehabilitating hotels, skilled nursing facilities, apartment buildings and transition them to permanent supportive housing opportunities for homeless Californians.”
“The city of Ukiah appreciates the collaboration with state and regional partners to implement supportive housing models that provide immediate alternatives for unhoused members in our community,” Ukiah City Manager Sage Sangiacomo is quoted as saying in the press release.
When asked Wednesday if he could confirm which hotel was being considered for the project, Sangiacomo said his understanding was that the first round of funding was for one hotel, but he could not disclose which one.