Posted on: April 25, 2025
Source: Marin Independent Journal; Author: Adrian Rodriguez
The former office building at 3301 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael during preparations for conversion to housing for homeless residents. (Alan Dep/Marin Independent Journal)
A San Rafael office building that has been converted into a supportive housing complex for formerly homeless residents is now open.
Eden Housing, a nonprofit developer and property management company, opened the $34.5 million project at 3301 Kerner Blvd. in the Canal neighborhood after nearly two years of construction.
Over the last week, 26 people have moved into the complex, called Casa Canal. The project was Eden Housing’s first office-to-housing conversion, said Ellen Morris, the nonprofit’s director of real estate development.
“It’s not news that California has an incredible homeless crisis, and that includes Marin County,” Morris said. “We understand that there is not one solution, but we believe building housing at all income levels is part of that solution. Creating affordable housing is part of the solution. That’s why we’re here.”
The plan was born out of the first wave of Project Homekey efforts in Marin County that launched during the pandemic. The state program helps local governments convert underused hotels and commercial properties into housing for people who are homeless or are at risk of losing their housing.
Marin County purchased the 24,018-square-foot commercial building for $7.2 million in 2020. The county secured nearly $6 million through Project Homekey to make the deal. San Rafael also contributed about $1.5 million.
Although the county approved an agreement to transfer the property to Eden Housing in 2021, the site was used temporarily as an emergency shelter to address an immediate need.
County and city officials partnered with Homeward Bound of Marin, a Novato nonprofit that provides services for homeless people, to operate the shelter.
“This is a really cool example of taking a vacant building and using it to address the homelessness crisis right away,” Morris said.
Homeward Bound ran the shelter until late 2022, when it opened Jonathan’s Place, a four-story shelter and supportive housing complex on Mill Street, blocks away from the Kerner Boulevard site. Jonathan’s Place provides 40 shelter beds and 32 apartments for permanent supportive housing.
Casa Canal includes 32 studio apartments and eight one-bedroom apartments with supportive services. The residences are outfitted for accessibility and include a kitchen with an electric stove and range, energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling. Utilities are included.
The property features a community room, a conference room, offices for case managers, bicycle storage, parking, a laundry room, a courtyard and outdoor gathering spaces.
Support programs include rental assistance, health and mental health care and other services for people who have experienced prolonged homelessness. A two-bedroom apartment has been set aside for the site manager.
“Homekey projects like these have served 70 of our homeless neighbors since the beginning of this year and are only one part of our successful housing approach,” said Gary Naja-Riese, a county homelessness official.
Since January 2024, the county has housed an additional 85 highly vulnerable people in permanent supportive housing and connected 488 more using temporary supports directly from encampments and the streets, Naja-Riese said.
The program at Casa Canal is part of Marin County’s “housing first” approach, where residents are provided with their own leases and a safe, stable place to live without preconditions, said Dr. Todd Schirmer, director of Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services.
“From there, our team provides wraparound support including mental health care, substance-use counseling and independent living skills,” Schirmer said. “This model helps break the cycle of homelessness and promotes long-term stability and wellness.”
The complex is across the street from the Marin Health and Wellness Campus, where there are health, mental health and substance abuse services.
“This proximity reduces barriers to care and supports consistent engagement in treatment — both of which are essential for long-term recovery,” Schirmer said.
Within the past year, Homeward Bound has also opened Sweeney’s Place and Puett Place, providing a combined total of 50 apartments for homeless veterans in Novato.
“These projects will help Marin to continue progress towards reductions in chronic, veteran and family homelessness,” Naja-Riese said.
San Rafael Mayor Kate Colin said the community will benefit from this project.
“I am grateful to Eden Housing for having the vision of Casa Canal, working with stakeholders to share their vision and bringing in the numerous funders to create this much-needed housing,” Colin said.
The first residents to move in came from Homeward Bound’s Voyager Carmel Center at 830 B St. in San Rafael, which closed this week.
Brook Hart, 47, was among them.
Hart said after struggling with homelessness and her mental health alone more than 15 years ago, she ended up in a psychiatric hospital. She was eventually referred to Homeward Bound’s Mill Street shelter, which is now Jonathan’s Place.
After receiving services, shelter and housing provided by the county and Homeward Bound, she has secured a job at Big 5 Sporting Goods, and has now found her new permanent home at Casa Canal, she said.
“I woke up this morning, and I was so happy to be there,” Hart said on Wednesday. “I have a lovely view of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. I have central heating, cooling, my own kitchen, a stove. It’s a miracle.”
The remaining residences will be filled with households on the county’s coordinated entry system, where applicants are assessed and prioritized for permanent housing resources based on their vulnerability.
Eden Housing expects it to be fully occupied by the end of May, Morris said.
Read the full article, here.
Posted in: News