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Council authorizes HomeKey+ application to convert Best Western into permanent supportive housing
Summary
Rohnert Park authorized staff to submit a HomeKey+ application with Burbank Housing to convert the Best Western (6500 Redwood Drive) into approximately 71 permanent supportive housing units for seniors and veterans; Burbank and service partners will provide management and supportive services, and the city will be the applicant but have no direct financing obligation.
Rohnert Park’s City Council voted unanimously April 8 to authorize a joint application for the HomeKey+ program to convert the former Best Western at 6500 Redwood Drive into permanent supportive housing managed by Burbank Housing.
Staff and Burbank Housing outlined the proposal: the city would be the lead applicant to the state HomeKey funding portal while Burbank Housing would be the developer and operator. The proposed scope converts motel rooms into roughly 71 one-bedroom units (a mix targeted to seniors with 10 designated for veterans), plus on-site case management and community spaces. Burbank Housing and project partners estimate a HomeKey funding request of about $30.8 million, supplemented by private and philanthropic contributions and other grant sources to cover acquisition and renovations. Burbank said it expects stabilized operating funding of roughly $1.56 million per year from tenant rents, housing vouchers and behavioral-health funding sources.
Burbank’s on-site strategy emphasizes secure access, property management, and an established supportive-services partner (Home First). The developer described the standard motel-to-housing conversion approach—combining adjacent rooms into one-bedroom units, adding kitchens, enclosing common-space areas into a community room, and securing the property with gates and perimeter control.
Neighborhood concerns focused on pedestrian safety, sidewalk gaps and the potential increase in daily foot traffic between the site and nearby retail. Local church leaders and nearby property managers said they appreciated the supportive-services approach but asked how the city and developer would address pedestrians crossing the busy Redwood Drive corridor to reach shopping or services. Burbank and city staff said outreach is ongoing, that unit counts will be lower than motel-room counts, and that management plans include site security, case management, and coordination with Rohnert Park public safety. Council members requested staff continue close coordination on pedestrian crossings and community outreach before construction-level approvals.
The council adopted a resolution determining the HomeKey project is statutorily/categorically exempt from CEQA (consistent with HomeKey statutory provisions) and authorized submission of the joint application; the council noted the state’s HomeKey awards are rolling and require rapid construction and lease-up schedules (projects must be completed and leased by Dec. 1, 2026 if awarded).
What’s next: staff will finalize and submit the application; if awarded by HCD the city and Burbank Housing will return with implementation details, permitting steps and a timeline for construction and lease-up.
