On March 6, LACDMH joined Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, State Senator Bob Archuleta and our state, local and community partners, to break ground on Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk to transform its vacant buildings into the LA County Care Community that will provide housing and mental health services. Once completed, this project will provide 162 beds across multiple levels of care for people experiencing serious mental illness and homelessness.

The LA County Care Community is made possible by Senate Bill 1336, authored by Senator Archuleta, which allows California to lease the State-owned site and buildings to L.A. County to renovate and repurpose for this first-of-its-kind coordinated care setting. The project is also made possible with $65 million in funding from Proposition 1, which finances behavioral health treatment infrastructure, including housing facilities. Additional State and County funds finance an additional $41 million for this project.

Components of LA County Care Community include:

  • Two Mental Health Rehabilitation Centers for young adults (ages 18 to 25) with acute mental health needs requiring intensive clinical care in a secure setting.
  • One Interim Housing Facility for young adults who are more stabilized but still require short-term housing and mental health services.
  • Two Permanent Supportive Housing Facilities for adults experiencing mental illness and homelessness who need stable, long-term housing with access to ongoing care.
  • A multipurpose building that provides wellness, case management and communal spaces to support residents’ wellbeing needs, along with property management and administrative offices for Care Community operations.
  • Outdoor spaces offering recreational and therapeutic opportunities to promote healing and recovery.

“This campus brings together permanent supportive housing, interim housing, subacute care, and psychiatric health services together in one location where we are creating a true continuum of care — meeting people where they are and walking alongside them on their path to stability and recovery,” said LACDMH Director Lisa H. Wong, Psy.D., who spoke and participated in the groundbreaking ceremony. “We are deeply grateful for the support of our Board of Supervisors, and specifically Supervisor Janice Hahn, for championing this special project and helping bring this vision to life.”

The first phase of the remodeling is expected to be completed by late 2027.

To watch the video, click here or see below: