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HFL Cedar Street Homes is
located in Norwalk,
California, on the grounds
of Metropolitan State
Hospital, adjacent to the
HFL Birch Grove Homes, and
the HFL Elm Street Homes.
Cedar Street was
rehabilitated from a vacant,
historical building, into a
transitional, ‘step down’,
state licensed, 38-bed
residential facility for
persons exiting from Los
Angeles County Institutes of
Mental Disease (IMDs), and
opened its doors on July 11,
2005.
Homes for Life entered into
a long-term lease with the
State Department of Mental
Health for use of the
building, and by the end of
the lease will have assisted
a minimum of 3,000
residents to transition
into long-term, community
based housing. Residents
are provided a full range of
social and life skills
training and services during
their stay to assist them in
preparing for less
structured living
environments.
HFL Cedar Street Homes was
awarded the Southern
California Association of
Non-Profit Housing (SCANPH)
Project of the Year Award in
the Transitional category
for 2005. HFL Cedar Street
Homes also received the 2008
National Award of Merit from
the National Association of
Housing & Redevelopment
Officials (NAHRO).
Metropolitan State Hospital
In 1913, Governor Hiram
Johnson (our 23rd Governor)
appropriated authority and
funds to create a new
Southern California mental
hospital because of
population growth. The
hospital was intended to
service Los Angeles and
Orange County populations
with mental illness.
Metropolitan State Hospital
was opened on 80 acres of
land as Norwalk State
Hospital on February 15,
1916 with 105 patients and
21 employees. One
residential building with
two floors housed 80
patients. The patient
population increased from
240 in 1918 to 2500 in 1956,
with staff increasing to
654.
Today, the Metropolitan
Hospital site is composed of
162 acres and 80
structures. The historic
area of the hospital is
located on the eastern
boundary with building
positioned around a large
park area, with trimmed
grass and mature trees. The
three buildings leased and
renovated by Homes for Life
Foundation are part of the
hospital’s 21 structure
“historic core” and are a
state designated historic
district and eligible for
listing on the National
Registry of Historic Places.
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