A packed room at the Carson Community Center as residents gathered to voice concerns over the proposed Project Homekey development during a town hall with county officials. / Photo Credit: Carson Compass
Carson CA — Hundreds of concerned residents gathered at the Carson Event Center on Thursday, April 30, 2026, to hear details surrounding the proposed Weingart housing development at the former Extended Stay America hotel in Carson. The project, expected to be completed in May 2026, is being funded through California’s Homekey 3.0 program along with support from the County of Los Angeles.
Under the proposal, the Weingart Center Association will convert the former hotel into 107 studio apartments known as The Weingart Primrose. The project is designed to provide permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness, replacing the temporary Project Roomkey model that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. Plans for the development include on-site wraparound services, landscaping and security improvements, a community patio, pet areas, and accessibility upgrades for residents with physical disabilities.
The Carson development is part of a larger Los Angeles County initiative partnering with homeless service providers and developers to convert hotels in Carson, Lancaster, and Palmdale into a combined 309 studio apartments and interim housing units for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Despite the project’s stated mission, many Carson residents voiced frustration and concern over the location and long-term impact of the development on the community. Residents questioned why Carson a city many believe has managed homelessness challenges more effectively than surrounding communities was selected for a large-scale homeless housing project.
During earlier discussions surrounding the proposal, Weingart leadership reportedly assured Carson elected officials and community stakeholders that the project would prioritize housing for the nearly 1,500 students experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity at California State University, Dominguez Hills.
However, residents said confidence in those assurances weakened after former Weingart CEO and former State Senator Kevin Murray were fired from the organization.
Many community members expressed concern that the project’s original vision and accountability had changed following his departure.
Residents also voiced fears that Los Angeles County is relocating the homelessness crisis into communities that have historically maintained lower unhoused populations and stable neighborhoods. Several attendees pointed out that another homeless housing site already exists less than a mile away, leading some to fear that Carson will become oversaturated with the unhoused population and plagued with homeless-related developments.
Still, county officials and supporters of the project emphasized the urgent need for permanent housing solutions across Los Angeles County. In support of the Carson project, Los Angeles County Supervisor, Holly Mitchell, said in a press release, “We must do everything we can to find safe, permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness. As we continue important efforts to build new housing to address this crisis, we must also actively pursue innovative options to use existing buildings to create more immediate housing options. Project Homekey is a great opportunity to help our unhoused neighbors.”
She continued saying, “We are thrilled to have the Weingart Center as an experienced partner to deliver the Primrose Project in the city of Carson.”
The statement and project details were previously published on the Los Angeles County homelessness and housing initiative website in connection with the Homekey 3.0 funding announcement.
Residents at the meeting made it clear that while many support helping individuals experiencing homelessness, they also demand greater transparency, accountability, public-safety protections, and direct community engagement before the project moves forward.
As the debate surrounding The Weingart Primrose continues, Carson residents are expected to push city officials to pursue legal action and to halt the project completely.
The Carson Compass will continue to follow this story and keep the community informed as developments unfold.
