Torrance Special City Council Meeting on County's Home Key Plus Project - May 23, 2025

The Torrance City Council held a special meeting on Friday, May 23, 2025, to discuss and provide direction on the city's position regarding the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' proposal to convert the Extended Stay America Hotel at 3525 Torrance Boulevard into 120 units of permanent supportive housing. The county was seeking authorization to submit a $55 million state funding application for the Project Home Key Plus initiative at its May 27, 2025 hearing. City staff and council members expressed significant frustration over the extremely short notice and lack of prior substantive consultation from the county on the proposal.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Several residents, business owners, and community stakeholders spoke in strong opposition to the proposed location. Key concerns included the project's proximity to multiple schools (Victor Elementary, West High, and Sink), parks, senior living facilities (Golden West Tower), and places of worship (Coptic Orthodox Church). Business owners, including the operator of an adjacent Best Western hotel, warned of severe financial impacts and tax revenue losses. Residents living across the street in the Bungalows community expressed fear for the safety of their children and elderly neighbors, citing existing issues with trespassing and vandalism from current guests at the extended-stay hotel. Numerous speakers criticized the rushed timeline, noting the meeting was called with less than 24 hours' notice before a holiday weekend, preventing meaningful community input.
• Representatives from the Weingart Center (Ben Rosen) and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn's office (Ivan Solak) advocated for the project. Rosen clarified the proposal is for permanent rental housing (not a shelter or transitional housing) with on-site management, 24/7 security, wraparound services, and that residents would have full leases. Solak emphasized the county's desire to collaborate with the city and house individuals experiencing homelessness from the Torrance area, noting a bottleneck in the system where people complete shelter programs but lack permanent housing options. Several Torrance residents also spoke in favor of the project, arguing it is a necessary step to address the local affordable housing crisis, highlighting success stories from similar models in Redondo Beach and the need to create a full continuum of care.

Discussion Items

• Councilwoman Lewis acknowledged the need for housing but stated she was not a fan of the location, preferring to keep it as a business and civic district. She stressed the program is permanent housing, not a shelter, and highlighted the lack of clarity on how local resources would be impacted.
• Councilman Kaji strongly opposed the project, sharing his family's negative experience with the expansion of Skid Row into Little Tokyo, which he attributed to similar county "failed policies." He characterized the proposal and related funding as part of a "homeless industrial complex."
• Councilwoman Kalani requested the county table the item to allow for proper dialogue and exploration of alternative locations within Torrance.
• Councilman Sheikh called the lack of prior consultation "unprofessional" and "disappointing," urging the county to table the item and collaborate on a better location.
• Councilman Matucci stated he felt "blindsided" and that the county's actions represented "bad faith," given Torrance's proven successful track record with its 3290 homeless outreach program.
• Councilman Gerson expressed that the process felt "deceptive" and supported requesting the item be pulled from the agenda.
• Ivan Solak of the county indicated he would relay the council's request and concerns to the Supervisor's office, and noted he would need to confer on whether the item could be technically pulled from the agenda.

Key Outcomes

• The council unanimously passed a motion authorizing the city manager to draft and submit a formal letter to the LA County Board of Supervisors formally opposing the inclusion of the proposed Torrance location in the Home Key Plus funding application.
• The motion included an amendment stating the City of Torrance shall not bear any financial responsibilities or operational impacts resulting from the project.
• The council requested the county pull the item from the May 27, 2025 agenda to allow for collaborative discussion on alternative locations.
• The city manager will utilize city social media channels to share updates and encourage public engagement with the county before the May 27, 2025 hearing.
• The meeting was adjourned to June 3, 2025.