El Monte motel conversion project faces delays and rising costs

A state-funded initiative to convert a motel into homeless housing in El Monte, California, has faced significant delays and rising costs. The project, part of Governor Gavin Newsom’s $3.8 billion Homekey program, involves the former M Motel, now renamed Hilda Solis Rose Court.

While the city received $10.35 million in original Homekey funding for the 93-room motel's acquisition and rehabilitation, the site remains under renovation nearly six years after the initial purchase in 2020. Local residents have reported ongoing issues including construction debris and repeated gas leaks.

The broader Homekey program has experienced widespread delays; a CalMatters investigation indicates that approximately one in five of the 3,000 planned homes remain unopened as of late 2025.