LA County Awarded $65 Million for Mental Healthcare Village at Metropolitan State Hospital

Hahn in front of vacant buildings at the Metropolitan State Hospital which will become the LA County Care Community

Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn is celebrating that Los Angeles County has been awarded a $65 million state grant to convert unused buildings on the Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH) campus in Norwalk into a mental healthcare village. The grant is part of $3.3 billion voter-approved Proposition 1 funds aimed at building more mental health treatment and housing across California.

“This mental healthcare village is exactly the type of facility voters were thinking of when they approved Proposition 1,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These buildings are doing no one any good sitting empty and we have a plan to convert them into the Los Angeles County Care Community — a mental healthcare village where we can provide humane, professional treatment and housing to people who desperately need it. This funding is a huge step forward for us and I appreciate the support we have already gotten from our state partners.”

Video: Hahn at Metropolitan State Hospital

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.

Under the leadership of Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County is seeking to renovate six vacant buildings on the MSH property to develop a new mental health care community that will serve adults and transitional age youth with varying mental health and housing needs.

“We are immensely appreciative of Governor Newsom’s latest announcement to support the residents of Los Angeles County with the investment in the Metro State Hospital. This investment solidifies our shared focus on behavioral health and the wellbeing of all Los Angeles County residents,” said Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. “With Proposition 1 funding earmarked specifically for the Metro campus, we can increase our capacity to provide the highest level of mental health services and resources to the individuals in our care. This much-needed investment is an important step in providing safe spaces and vital treatment for our county’s most vulnerable populations.”

The $65 million state grant will fund the renovation of two of the six buildings which will become psychiatric subacute facilities for transitional age youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Each of the two buildings will have 16 beds for a total of 32 beds dedicated to this population. The entire care community will have 219 beds and the capacity to treat hundreds of patients every year.

Photo Files
Photo 1 Hahn
Photo 2 Drone Footage of Facility