Homelessness is a key issue in Marin, and here’s how to help solve it San Rafael, CA – Homelessness is a public health issue nationwide, statewide and even in affluent Marin County. From Richardson’s Bay to the Pacific coast to the northern parts of Novato and everywhere in between, there is an urgent public-health need for … Continued
Throughout California, there is only shelter capacity for approximately 30% of people experiencing homelessness. This same ratio holds in Marin. One of the most visible manifestations of unsheltered homelessness is encampments. According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, encampments: May be a core group of people who are known to one another … Continued
Nearly five years ago, the City of San Rafael, the County of Marin, and local homeless service providers joined forces to launch a pilot program called the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), which has since been named a statewide best practice by the League of California Cities. HOT emerged out of a need to address unsheltered homelessness in Downtown … Continued
At the end of June the Governor announced “Project Homekey”, which set aside approximately $600 million for the acquisition of hotels, motels, and other existing buildings for both interim and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness and who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Marin’s Project Homekey Sites The County of Marin has applied for Project Homekey … Continued
From March of 2016 through September of 2017, a pilot program in San Rafael called the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) created a new collaborative service model that housed 23 of the hardest-to-serve, chronically homeless people in San Rafael. On October 1, 2017, this strategy of prioritizing housing and services for the most vulnerable, high-needs members … Continued
On October 1st, 2020, City of San Rafael officials, including the Police Chief, Fire Chief, City Attorney’s Office, and City Manager’s Office, met with community members to discuss recent encampment activity in residential parts of the city.
The past few months have brought a number of unprecedented challenges to our local system of care. This newsletter will provide an overview of six of the most significant ways in which the City, the County, and our local homeless service providers are responding to the COVID-19 crisis. If you or someone you know is … Continued
In the early days of the City’s homelessness newsletter, we posted a series of interviews with local stakeholders to help the public meet the various people involved with this important issue. Those interviews included the City of San Rafael’s Mental Health Outreach Liaison Lynn Murphy and the County of Marin’s Homelessness Policy Analyst Ashley Hart McIntyre. … Continued
Over the past year and a half, a court case called Martin v. Boise has been significantly impacting cities’ ability to respond to street homelessness. In a nutshell, the 9th Circuit Court ruling essentially says that imposition of criminal penalties for sitting, sleeping, or lying outside on public property for homeless individuals who cannot obtain … Continued
The City of San Rafael will be hosting a first of its kind “roommate networking lunch” to assist individuals looking for affordable housing. With such expensive rents in our community, one creative strategy for increasing housing placements is to help people find potential roommates. We are also encouraging landlords or homeowners looking for renters to … Continued
