In partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Community Development Commission/Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles released its highly anticipated $207 million “No Place Like Home” Notice of Funding Availability.

In 2016, Governor Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 1618, which authorized the creation of the NPLH Program. The NPLH Program authorizes the issuance of $2 billion in bond proceeds to be repaid with funding from the Mental Health Services Act Fund for the capital development of supportive housing.

With support from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the county successfully applied to become an Alternative Process County, where the NPLH Program will be jointly administered by CDC/HACoLA and LACDMH.

Monique King-Viehland, CDC/HACoLA Executive Director said, “The county recognizes the need to continue to invest in supportive housing for residents that not only struggle to meet the high rent prices but also manage their personal health challenges. As an agency, we are committed to pursuing and securing funding, such as NPLH, to create more opportunities to get people housed, which is often the first step to establishing stability. We are grateful to partner with LACDMH to help our mutual clients take advantage of the scope of services the county has to offer.”

While the CDC/HACoLA will administer the NPLH Program funding, LACDMH will provide supportive services for at least 20 years to residents of the NPLH-funded units. Future residents of NPLH-funded units will include adults with serious mental illness, as well as children with severe emotional disorders and their families who require acute psychiatric in-patient care, residential treatment, or outpatient crisis intervention because of a mental disorder.

NPLH Program funds will also provide supportive housing for those at-risk of chronic homelessness, including individuals with mental illness exiting institutionalized settings with a history of homelessness prior to institutionalization, and transition age youth experiencing homelessness.

“Providing both housing and supportive services to our neighbors with mental health needs within our communities is essential to both collective and individual well-being,” said Jonathan E. Sherin, MD, PhD, Director of LACDMH. “We’re grateful for the support from the state legislature and our Board of Supervisors to help people on their path to recovery.”

The total NPLH Program funding allocation to Los Angeles County will be approximately $700 million. Eligible uses of NPLH Program funds include acquisition, design, construction, rehabilitation, preservation, and capitalized operating reserves for supportive housing providing homes for qualifying residents.

For the first tranche of funds, CDC/HACoLA will first seek to fund projects that did not secure financing through NOFA Round 24-A, which was released in September 2018, as well as projects that have initial funding from the City of Los Angeles Housing and Community Investment Department, but require additional funding to enable construction.

CDC/HACoLA will also release periodic NPLH Program NOFAs that target the creation of housing opportunities for NPLH-eligible projects.