Los Angeles, California’s “Project Homekey” initiative uses government funding to convert hotels and motels into housing for people experiencing homelessness.

The project — which is a collaboration between L.A. County and nonprofit Hope the Mission — boasts a number of success stories, including The Alvarado, a facility that transformed a “dilapidated” motel into shelter for single mothers and children.

The word "Hope" is designed into the geometric exterior of the facility. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

The Alvarado opened to the public in March of 2023 and was designed by Kadre Architects, a firm that is known for using bright colors to strategically create safe, inviting spaces for homeless people.

With a speedy design-to-completion timeline of just eight months, the 20,000-square-foot facility is now tactfully home to 43 units with a total of 172 beds, with support spaces and offices. 

“Thanks to everyone who helped transform The Alvarado – a once blighted hotel – into this safe haven for families,” Homeless Initiative director Cheri Todoroff said in a press release for L.A. County. 

“As many as 43 families, including dozens of children experiencing homelessness, can stay at this newest Homekey site at any given time, getting the help they need to thrive while we work on finding them a permanent place to live.”

One floor of the facility is purple-themed. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

The Alvarado’s floors are each themed in bright, rainbow colors, with monochrome purple and yellow floors for residents. The three upper levels of the facility house the living units, which each have bunk beds, a bathroom, microwave, and small refrigerator. The units average about 280 square feet each.

The ground level of the building offers gathering areas and support spaces, as well as an outdoor area with a dining deck for residents to enjoy three meals a day.

L.A. County also shared that The Alvarado provides programs like job training and placement, after-school tutoring, and life skill classes.

The lobby of The Alvarado. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

“Alvarado Family Shelter will help get families off the streets and on a path of healing,” Hope the Mission CEO and founder Ken Craft said in a statement. 

“It will take a village to solve homelessness in Los Angeles, and partnerships like the one we had with the county and the state to build this shelter, is a fantastic example of what’s possible when we work together.”

Architects from Kadre brought their wisdom to the table to craft a space that is not only vibrant and optimistic but also sustainable.

“[We] used the palette to enliven spaces and bring about a sense of ownership, with each floor having its own graphic identity throughout each of the rooms, floors, walls and furnishings – like one's own neighborhood,” Kadre designers shared.

A unit painted in green hues. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

The project’s details also include drought-tolerant landscaping and a white-painted roof to help reduce the impact of heat on the building. A photovoltaic array — or solar grid — meets about half of the building’s energy needs.

“Collaborating closely with the contractors and specialty consultants, the architects were able to eliminate fossil fuels completely and switch the entire building to electric power, in-step with the goals of the California Energy Commission,” the Kadre team added.

Each unit is small and has basic amenities like a microwave and mini fridge. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

Nerin Kadribegovic, the founder of Kadre Architects, is a third-generation architect and refugee of wars in Yugoslavia and Bosnia. 

His experience with “chaotic social and environmental disruption” has inspired him to take the lead on projects like this, that provide a dignified and joyful environment for those who have faced similar displacement.

“This awareness evokes deep empathic connection to critical issues facing metropolitan urban centers around the world,” Kadre’s website explains. 

This project is one of two others Kadre Architects has collaborated on with Hope the Mission. Additionally, the county has acquired 32 properties with Homekey grants, all aiming to reduce homelessness and provide a landing place for people to get back on their feet.

L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis has been a champion of housing, even becoming the namesake of a shipping container housing community that was once set to be a jail in downtown L.A. The Alvarado represents one more project under her leadership that will change countless lives.

The facility is a vibrant fixture in L.A.'s Westlake neighborhood. Photo courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

“It is so encouraging that the state is providing cities and local jurisdictions with the funds needed to provide supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness,” Supervisor Solis said. 

“Opening Alvarado Family Shelter is not just about providing a roof over someone’s head. It is about offering hope, dignity, and a chance for these families to rebuild their lives.”

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Header image courtesy of Nerin Kadribegovic/Kadre Architects

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