What is the Los Angeles County Care Community? 

The Los Angeles County Care Community will be a state-of-the-art mental healthcare campus where six unused buildings at the Metropolitan State Hospital will be converted into various types of mental health treatment and housing for transitional aged youth and adults.  

Why are these beds needed? 

As California faces overlapping mental health and homelessness crises, the need for mental health housing continues to rise. The LA County Care Community will support Los Angeles County’s effort to build out mental health beds in a way that meets the moment: adding beds that support people with various levels of mental health and housing need. The Care Community will play a vital role in reducing issues like homelessness and hospitalizations related to mental health crises. At the LA County Care Community, more Angelenos will have the opportunity to move off the street and into housing that will not only put a roof over their heads, but also address the root of their mental health concerns. 

What types of housing will be built as part of the LA County Care Community, and who will benefit? 

The campus will include two locked subacute psychiatric facilities for young adults ages 18 to 25 that will provide 32 beds in a secure, therapeutic setting for those with the most acute mental health needs who require structured and intensive clinical care.

One interim housing facility serving young adults will provide 70 beds for people whose conditions are more stable but require short-term housing with wraparound mental health services.*

In addition, two permanent supportive housing facilities will offer a total of 60 apartments for adults living with mental illness who previously experienced homelessness and need stable, long-term housing with access to ongoing care. The remaining building will provide a communal space for the residents of the two permanent supportive housing facilities, including a kitchen, case management and property management offices, wellness and flex spaces, and a computer lounge. 

Each facility will be designed with its own dedicated courtyard, tailored to the population it serves. These outdoor spaces will provide therapeutic and recreational environments that support healing and overall well-being.

*We recognize the importance of benefiting our local city, so we plan to set aside dedicated beds in the interim housing facility for unhoused people in Norwalk. 

Where will the LA County Care Community be located?  

The Metropolitan State Hospital is a state-run public hospital located in the City of Norwalk specializing in psychiatric care. The 826-bed hospital is operated by the Department of State Hospitals and has an open campus within a security perimeter on 162 acres of state property.  

The LA County Care Community will be created using six long-vacant buildings on the Metro State Hospital campus. The buildings surround a shared courtyard.  

When will the LA County Care Community open? 

The interim housing is projected to open by December 2027, and the Mental Health Rehabilitation Center beds are expected to be open for residents in January 2028.  

The Permanent Supportive Housing beds are projected to be open for residents sometime in 2029.  

What type of security will be provided? 

There will be two unarmed security guards assigned at two security posts. The main entrance to the LA County Care Community on Norwalk Boulevard will be gated with a guard shack that will be monitored 24/7. Additionally, each facility will hire and manage their own internal security. In the event that additional security is needed, the LA County Sheriff’s Department and the LA County Fire Department are the local response agencies, not the Metropolitan State Hospital campus police.