FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT:        City of Merced

Jennifer Flachman, Public Information Officer

                       flachmanj@cityofmerced.org, 209-564-0235 

                       UPholdings

                       Ivy Public Relations

                       Natasha Biasell

                       Natasha@ivypublicrelations.com

The City of Merced Awarded $24 Million in Project Homekey to Fund TwelveThirteen Housing Project. 

- Second Homekey award will provide funding to repurpose the former hotel at V Street in Merced 

Merced, Calif – The City of Merced announced that the California Department of Housing and Community Development has awarded $24 million in funding from the State’s Project Homekey. 

“This funding is the culmination of years of work toward addressing homelessness,” stated Assembly Member Adam Gray. “This is a tremendous win for Merced and will get people into permanent supportive housing and of the streets,” concluded Gray. 

This housing project which repurposes the former hotel at V Street will include 96 units of permanent supportive housing for homeless and chronically homeless with incomes equal to or less than 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). Fifteen units will be accessible for those with mobility disabilities. Each unit will include a kitchenette, refrigerator, stove or hot plate, and microwave and will be furnished with a bed, dresser, table, desk, and chairs. The units will be pre-wired for cable and internet access. In addition, residents will have access to supportive services such as intensive case management services, linkages to behavioral, physical health services, assistance obtaining benefits and essential documentation, and educational and employment services. 

“Repurposing this hotel is critical to the City’s plan for providing affordable housing units,” said City of Merced Mayor Matthew Serratto. “This project, along with the recently funded 21-unit modular container project will provide housing to those individuals who are experiencing chronic homelessness in our community,” said Serratto. 

“We are fortunate to be able to create opportunities for vulnerable members of our community, stated District Two Council Member Fernando Echeverria. “This project will be a fundamental foundation that will provide access to shelter, healthcare, rehabilitation, job training, and education,” he said. 

“The City will contribute $1.69 million in local funds from the City Council’s Affordable Housing Set-Aside,” stated City Manager Stephanie Dietz. “We are fortunate to have collaborative partnerships involved in these essential developments that offer shelter and supportive services to individuals living on the streets.”

Project collaborators include UPholdings California, LLC., RH Community Builders, LP, Merced County Human Services Agency, Merced County Housing Authority, and Merced County Continuum of Care. 

"We are grateful for this Homekey news from the Governor's office and are thrilled to work with the City of Merced, RH Community Builders, Turning Point Community Programs, and the Merced County Continuum of Care to create quality, permanent housing for residents in need," said Jessica Hoff Berzac, co-owner of UPholdings. "Homekey is an innovative program that allowed us to build housing in the Central Valley through Round 1 funds, and we are eager to continue this important work in Merced utilizing round 2 funding. We've rallied tremendous support for our TwelveThirteen project from a variety of partners, including the Central Valley Community Foundation, representing true community collaboration to help fill a critical housing need in Merced." 

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

Homekey Round 2 continues a statewide effort to sustain and rapidly expand housing for persons experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and inherently impacted by COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. 

For more information about Homekey, visit homekey.hcd.ca.gov. 

For more information about the City of Merced, visit cityofmerced.org. 

For more information about UPholdings, visit upholdings.net