Survey Continues to Inform Program Direction
The December 2023 survey of individuals experiencing homelessness conducted by the City of San Rafael and its partner agencies has continued to guide the City’s response to homelessness, as reported in the Marin Independent Journal. Since the survey, the City, service agencies, and County of Marin have planned an effort to assess 100% of the encampment residents for housing placement, and to conduct at least one service fair on-site at the path. The City has also provided additional bathrooms, trash service, and will soon provide an additional case manager dedicated to the encampment in partnership with Marin County.
Partnership Case Management Program with the County of Marin
Marin County Health and Human Services, in collaboration with the City of San Rafael, have agreed to jointly fund a new case manager designated explicitly for the Mahon Creek Path encampment. This initiative aims to respond to needs for additional case management services identified in the City’s needs assessment survey. The appointed case manager will cater to approximately 17 new clients, operating under one of the agencies currently contracted with the County through its Whole Person Care program. The County and City will jointly choose the provider, share information and enroll clients, and the County will administer the contract.
Marin HHS also facilitated a brainstorming session with City staff and social services partners regarding needs and resources for the Mahon Creek area encampment. The collective partners are united in the goals of assessing 100% of individuals residing in the encampment for Coordinated Entry through an outreach effort in April, identifying individuals who fell out of case management and getting them re-assigned, and doing a series of on-site services fairs specific to the Mahon Path encampment.
Update on the City’s Camping Ordinance
The City is currently planning to introduce amendments to its camping ordinance at the April 15, 2024 City Council meeting. The City’s current camping ordinance is subject to a Preliminary Injunction Order issued by Judge Edward Chen in the Boyd et al. v. City of San Rafael litigation. The Order has made it challenging for the City to enforce reasonable limitations on camping in the City. The proposed amendments will be consistent with Judge Chen’s order and should permit the City to enforce its spacing and distancing rules on camping by homeless persons in the City.