The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Antioch resident Diane Gibson-Gray regarding the upcoming HomeKey+ project the Antioch City Council will soon decide.
To the Editor:
On July 28, the Antioch City Council votes on the Homekey+ Mahogany Housing Project — turning the old Comfort Inn into 84 apartments for people without homes. I care about our unhoused neighbors; housing paired with real support can change a life. That is not my worry. My worry is how this deal is structured, and I want my neighbors to understand it too.
The facts, in plain language:
The city will not own or run the building. A CSH-affiliated organization will own and manage it. The city is just a funding partner.
Not just for Antioch residents. Residents will be referred through Contra Costa County’s countywide system, not an Antioch-only list. The building is here, but residents could come from anywhere in the county.
The city pays every year, long-term. Up to $1.2 million a year, for five years, with two possible five-year renewals — up to 15 years and $18.75 million total, from our General Fund.
If CSH walks away, the city must find a new operator. What happens to residents or City funds during that search is not addressed.
No answer on rising costs. The report never says if the $1.2 million grows with inflation, even though costs almost always rise over 15 years, especially in today’s economy where inflation is at an all-time high.
No answer on upkeep, damage, or lawsuits. Who is responsible for maintenance, resident-caused damage, or who gets sued over a safety or ADA issue — the City, the operator, or both — is not said. Litigation attorneys always seek out the deepest pockets and that will be the city.
No mention of housing discrimination. Nothing addresses what happens if the operator is accused of it, or whether the city could be pulled in as a funding partner.
The homework isn’t done. An independent financial review, updated appraisal, and safety inspections are still pending, yet Council is asked to sign while that work continues.
No clear exit plan. If something goes wrong, the city must find new funding, transfer the project, or walk away — and what happens to the $34.9 million in state money is not spelled out.
I am not asking Council to turn its back on people who need housing. I am asking them to finish the homework first — the review, appraisal, inspections, and clear answers on cost, liability, and discrimination protections — before locking in a 15-year tax dollar commitment. That is not unkind. That is responsible.
Please email your Council members to require this due diligence before the city signs the final agreement.
Diane Gibson-Gray
Antioch Resident
