
Homelessness
Housing and Homeless Programs
San Rafael, CA 94901
Supporting San Rafael's Unhoused Community
The City of San Rafael remains committed to protecting the health and safety of community members and employees, while also striving to deliver public services to the greatest extent possible. The City does not directly provide homeless services or programming, but we partner closely with the County of Marin and local service providers to ensure that people experiencing homelessness have access to the resources they need. For the latest updates on what's available in our community, please visit this page.
Homelessness in San Rafael
The City of San Rafael has been a leader in Marin County on addressing homelessness. Between 2017 and 2019, San Rafael saw a 30% decline in unsheltered homelessness, and countywide there was a 28% decline in long-term, chronic homelessness. This page provides an overview of the various programs, partners, and strategies the City supports.
If you've been sleeping on the streets or in your car for two weeks or longer, individuals please call the Coordinated Entry help line at 415-473-4663, and families please call Homeward Bound of Marin at 415-457-2115. Additionally, please note that the City of San Rafael has adopted a variety of renter protection policies to help prevent homelessness in the first place. You can learn more here.
Homeless Encampments near Davidson Community Meeting – 10/18/2023
Ending chronic homelessness in Marin
Community Partners
In Marin since 1946, St. Vincent’s does much more than just provide 200,000 warm meals every year at its Free Dining Room on B Street. St. Vincent’s provides homelessness prevention services to over 1,000 households a year, manages the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) to address chronic homelessness, and hosts Community Court – a court diversion program.
In addition to being Marin’s primary emergency shelter provider, Homeward Bound also operates 353 units of supportive housing units, provides medical respite care saving the community $2.5M a year in medical costs, and provides job training opportunities through its Fresh Starts Culinary Academy and Wagster social enterprise.
Downtown Streets Team is a work experience program that provides volunteer opportunities for men and women experiencing homelessness. The San Rafael team has provided over 60,000 hours of beautification and cleanup services and helped almost 100 people regain employment. DST has also taken over management of the Marin Mobile Care mobile shower program.
The Ritter Center is Marin’s primary healthcare provider for people experiencing homelessness. Serving approximately 1,500 unhoused people at their clinic in Downtown San Rafael, Ritter specializes in providing wraparound medical, psychiatric, case management, and behavior health support to Marin’s most vulnerable.
Adopt A Family of Marin works to prevent homelessness and provide stability for Marin families in need. We provide financial assistance for rent, security deposits, utility payments, food vouchers and auto repair.