Los Angeles County Breaks Ground on $106M Mental Health Care Campus at Norwalk State Hospital

Key Points

• Los Angeles County is developing the Los Angeles County Care Community at the historic Metropolitan State Hospital site in Norwalk.
• The campus will include 150+ mental health treatment beds, interim housing, and supportive housing.
• The $106 million project is funded largely through California’s Proposition 1, backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

New mental health campus planned in Norwalk

Los Angeles County has begun development on a new mental health treatment campus at the historic Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk, California. Officials recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Los Angeles County Care Community, which will transform six long-vacant hospital buildings into a hub for treatment and supportive housing. The project aims to address the region’s overlapping mental health and homelessness crises by creating a campus that combines medical care, transitional housing, and long-term supportive housing in one location. The facility will ultimately provide more than 150 beds for people experiencing serious mental health challenges.

What the project includes

The new campus will offer multiple levels of care and housing to help people stabilize and transition into longer-term support.

Plans for the site include:

• 32 secured “subacute” treatment beds for young adults aged 18 to 25 experiencing severe mental health crises
• 70 interim housing beds for people transitioning from treatment
• 60 permanent supportive housing units for long-term stability

Twenty of the interim housing beds will be prioritized for people experiencing homelessness in Norwalk. The housing and treatment buildings will feature outdoor courtyards, gardens, and communal spaces designed to support recovery and group activities. County officials say placing treatment, transitional housing, and permanent housing on the same campus will help patients move through different stages of care without having to relocate.

What the funding means for the project

A significant portion of the project funding comes from Proposition 1, a statewide measure approved by voters in 2024and backed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The initiative increased funding for housing and treatment programs targeting mental health and substance abuse challenges, particularly among people experiencing homelessness. Los Angeles County will operate the new campus, while the state is leasing the vacant hospital buildings to the county for redevelopment. L.A. County Supervisor Janice Hahn has been one of the main political leaders pushing the project forward, describing the new campus as a “mental healthcare village” designed to provide safe treatment and housing for people with serious mental illness.

What the facility means for treatment policies

The project reflects a broader shift in California’s mental health policy toward more structured treatment programs. Some residents of the facility will be placed there through conservatorship, meaning they cannot leave voluntarily. For example, the 32 subacute beds for young adults will operate as locked treatment units. This approach connects to programs such as CARE Court, a statewide initiative launched in 2023 that allows judges to mandate treatment plans for people with severe mental illness if they refuse voluntary care. Civil rights organizations have criticized the expansion of locked facilities funded through Proposition 1, arguing they could lead to coercive treatment environments. County officials say safeguards are in place, including legal representation and periodic reviews that allow patients to challenge their commitment status.

What the redevelopment means for the historic hospital site

Metropolitan State Hospital opened in 1916 and once housed as many as 5,000 patients in the 1950s. Today, the hospital serves around 850 patients, primarily individuals involved in the criminal justice system who are deemed unable to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity. The six buildings being redeveloped for the Care Community have been vacant since the early 2000s. Construction will be phased. The 70 interim housing beds are expected to open by late 2027, while the subacute treatment beds are projected to open in early 2028. A timeline for the permanent supportive housing portion has not yet been finalized. For county leaders, the project represents a new use for underutilized state hospital facilities while expanding the region’s mental health treatment infrastructure.