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HFL Elm Street Homes is
located in Norwalk,
California, on the grounds
of Metropolitan State
Hospital, adjacent to the
HFL Cedar Street Homes, and
the HFL Birch Grove Homes,
and opened it’s doors on
March 14, 2007. Elm Street
was rehabilitated from a
vacant, historical building
into 14 SRO units for
homeless mentally ill
persons, and one one-bedroom
manager’s apartment unit.
The SRO units are fully furnished,
with shared living / dining area,
kitchen, bath. There’s a guard
gate at the main entry, visitor’s
lounge, laundry, landscaped outdoor
area, and marked parking.
Residents pay 30% of their adjusted
gross income for rent. Residents
are responsible for their own phone
and utilities.
A part-time residential manager is
responsible for routine
maintenance. Qualified case
managers meet with residents and
assist them with locating community
resources to meet individual program
needs.
HFL Elm Street Homes was awarded the
Southern California Association of
Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH) Project
of the Year Award in the Special
Needs Category for 2007. Elm
Street also received the 2008
National Award of Merit from the
National Association of Housing &
Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
Metropolitan State Hospital
In 1913, Governor Hiram Johnson (our
23rd Governor) appropriated
authority and funds to create a new
Southern California mental hospital
because of population growth. The
hospital was intended to service Los
Angeles and Orange County
populations with mental illness.
Metropolitan State Hospital was
opened on 80 acres of land as
Norwalk State Hospital on February
15, 1916 with 105 patients and 21
employees. One residential building
with two floors housed 80 patients.
The patient population increased
from 240 in 1918 to 2500 in 1956,
with staff increasing to 654.
Today, the Metropolitan Hospital
site is composed of 162 acres and 80
structures. The historic area of
the hospital is located on the
eastern boundary with building
positioned around a large park area,
with trimmed grass and mature
trees. The three buildings leased
and renovated by Homes for Life
Foundation are part of the
hospital’s 21 structure “historic
core” and are a state designated
historic district and eligible for
listing on the National Registry of
Historic Places.
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