Rush Creek near Novato has seen an influx of unhoused people living in vehicles, which line Binford Road adjacent to the creek.
State grant monies totaling nearly $2.7 million were awarded to local jurisdictions this week to temper the proliferation of unhoused residents in and around Novato.
About $1.6 million went to the County of Marin for housing assistance for the nearly 100 vehicle-bound people parked along Binford Road north of Novato. Another $1.1 million was awarded jointly to the county and City of Novato to find housing for 45 people camped in the Hamilton neighborhood.
They were among 22 jurisdictions statewide to receive funds to address the rising tide of homelessness in California. The grants are partly the result of Assembly Bill 140, the 2021 legislation intended to find “safe and stable housing” for people living in encampments.
Gary Naja-Riese, director of Marin Health and Human Services Division of Homelessness and Whole Person Care, told the Marin Independent Journal that most of the funds will pay for permanent-housing case managers supplied by local homeless-services nonprofits. Case management is required before residents can receive Section 8 housing vouchers, according to Naja-Riese.
Marin, along with similar jurisdictions such as Sonoma County, adheres to the federal “housing first” model, which employs housing vouchers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The vouchers guarantee that renters pay no more than 30% of their income for rent at participating privately owned rooms or apartments, according to HUD. Those without income pay no rent.
Portions of the grant funds will be used to assist some homeless residents with first/last months rents and security deposits, added Naja-Reise. For information, visit marincounty.org.
