News Release —
Marin Receives Over $18 Million to Address Homelessness

San Rafael, CA – Hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in Marin County are slated to benefit from over $18 million secured this week from the State of California’s Encampment Resolution Funds (ERF). 

In an announcement Thursday, April 18, the California Interagency Council on Homelessness awarded nearly $192 million to 17 communities that are working to help unsheltered people move from longstanding encampments into housing. Many of the encampments are located on state rights-of-way.

The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and its Homelessness and Coordinated Care Division will jointly manage these grants with a variety of partners, including the City of San Rafael and the Bolinas Community Land Trust. 

“We are deeply grateful for the significant support from the State of California's Encampment Resolution Funds, as it paves the way for transformative progress in our efforts to combat homelessness in Marin County,” said Lisa Warhuus, Director of Marin HHS. “We look forward to collaborating with our many dedicated community partners to advance crucial initiatives that uplift individuals and families experiencing homelessness in the months and years ahead.”

The breakdown in new funding for Marin projects includes: 

• $8,678,324 to serve 60 people, mostly Latinx farm workers and their families in a new RV interim housing site in Bolinas and support the construction of 27 new permanent housing units.
• $5,999,241 to serve 65 people and house 46 from the community’s largest encampment at the greater Mahon Creek Path area in San Rafael.
• $3,720,706 to serve 110 people and house 90 people by building off a previous ERF-funded project and adding additional staff and interim shelter options to resolve an encampment along a state right-of-way at Binford Road in unincorporated Novato.

“This funding represents a crucial opportunity to address the three largest homeless encampments in Marin, allowing us to provide vital services and permanent housing solutions,” said Gary Naja-Riese, Director of Marin HHS’s Homelessness and Coordinated Care Division. 

Affordable housing and solutions to homelessness remain one of the top priorities for the County of Marin and the Board of Supervisors, aligning with responses from recent countywide community surveys. 

“We’re extremely grateful for the assistance from Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Damon Connolly in their efforts to implement long-term, sustainable policies and funding that encourage housing opportunities for those experiencing homelessness,” said Dennis Rodoni, President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. “These funds are appreciated to support encampments across Marin County, serving individuals in need and helping transfer them into permanent supportive housing.”

Marin HHS Division of Homelessness and Coordinated Care works to end homelessness in Marin by transforming the system of care, partnering with local jurisdictions and nonprofit agencies, and helping to provide housing for the most vulnerable community members. A primary goal is to ensure clients remain housed utilizing the housing first approach. Marin HHS plans to provide regular updates regarding the progress of the ERF projects.