Governor Signs Archuleta Bill to Develop Mental Healthcare Village at Metropolitan State Hospital for Mental Health Treatment and Housing

Sacramento, CA – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1336 into law, approving a measure to help develop a mental healthcare village in the City of Norwalk. Authored by Senator Bob Archuleta (D-Pico Rivera) and championed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, SB 1336 will allow LA County to use vacant buildings on the state’s Metropolitan State Hospital campus to develop a mental healthcare village to provide housing and treatment to individuals struggling with mental illness.

“Over the past decade, California has borne witness to a mental health crisis that has left many of our neighbors with mental illness homeless and on the street,” said Senator Bob Archuleta. “SB 1336 is a major step forward for the region by getting people the resources they need and off the street and into housing. A big thank you to Supervisor Janice Hahn and the LA County Department of Mental Health for working alongside me to ensure our region has the capacity to help meet the needs of people with mental illness now and in the future.”

“We are battling a mental health crisis, and we desperately need places where we can treat and house people who are struggling,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “These buildings are doing no one any good sitting empty. I thank Governor Newsom for signing this legislation so we can start doing the hard work converting this small corner of State property into the Los Angeles County Care Community -- a facility where we can provide humane, professional treatment to people who desperately need it.”

SB 1336 authorizes the director of the Department of General Services (DGS) to lease seven buildings that are currently unused at Metropolitan State Hospital to a nonprofit or local government for the purposes of providing housing and/or treatment to people with behavioral health needs.

The Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH) 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. Currently, the state hospital admits patients in four different categories: incompetent to stand trial, offender with mental health disorder, not guilty by reason of insanity, and conservatorship Lanterman-Petris-Short Act.
 
Under the leadership of Supervisor Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County is seeking to renovate the buildings to develop a new mental health community campus that will serve adults and transitional age youth with varying mental health and housing needs. In June, the State and County entered into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement regarding the leasing of the seven buildings on the Metropolitan State Hospital Campus for this purpose.

The Los Angeles County Care Community will include a series of facilities offering diverse treatment and housing options for people with mental health challenges to be overseen by the LA County Department of Mental Health. These seven buildings were identified through a collaborative effort between the County and State. To create this Care Community, Los Angeles County will be using various grant programs and funding provided by the State as part of the State’s response to the homelessness and mental health crisis.

“This is the kind of project that Governor Newsom advocated for under Proposition 1,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I want the County and the State to work together, hand- in-hand, to get this done and get people who are suffering on the street the help and
treatment they need.”

SB 1336 and the mental health campus proposal comes in response to the growing concerns over the state’s mental health and homelessness crises. It is clear the State and Los Angeles County need more facilities and housing options for individuals with mental health challenges. The Los Angeles County Care Community represents an innovative solution to a complex problem and is an example of the County and State collaborating to identify government property that can be converted into housing while providing access to essential services.

“For the past several years, I have worked with state agencies, departments, and local government to identify underutilized state-owned buildings at Metropolitan State Hospital to repurpose them to provide care, resources, and housing for people who need treatment,” said Archuleta. “The collaboration between the state and local government helps meet an urgent public need and addresses the significant and growing need for mental health services in our region and state, but it also ensures that state assets are utilized effectively for the public good.”

Senator Bob Archuleta currently represents the 30th Senate District, which includes portions of Los Angeles County and Orange County. He is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, and a member of the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, Governmental Organization Committee, Transportation Committee, as well as the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management. Website of Senator Bob Archuleta: https://sd30.senate.ca.gov/.

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