This empty Bay Area office space will soon be turned into supportive housing

Source: ABC7 News Bay Area

The 41,000-square-foot office building in San Rafael is on its way to becoming a supportive housing complex with 41 studio apartments for those formerly unhoused.

North Bay is underway to convert an empty office building into a supportive housing complex for unhoused people.  It’s happening in San Rafael. Cornell Bernard looks at how the nonprofit behind the project looks to make it a model across the Bay Area. It is a place where meetings were once held and papers were shuffled. “This basically was empty and wasn’t being used for about a year or so. Getting it refurbished from that to living spaces” says Robert Hendrickson, D+H Construction.

This 41,000 square former office building is on its way to becoming a supportive housing complex. 41 studio apartments for those formerly unhoused.  “The residents will be receiving services on site and across the street” says Kate Blessing-Kawamura, Eden Housing. The project is all thanks to a partnership between Marin County and nonprofit Eden Housing, creating affordable housing communities across the Bay Area Working towards a goal of producing 10,000 units in 10 years.  She says the idea for this complex was born during the pandemic, when empty hotels or commercial properties were used to shelter the unhoused or those at risk of losing their housing. “The number of people who are in need of housing is so great. We are trying to make a dent.” says Blessing-Kawamura.

There are challenges to transform the empty office space into housing. “The elevators are here. They are actually shut down.” says Robert Hendrickson, D+H Construction. A lot of red tape and permits are being avoided. “Cost wise, permits wise, it definitely helps the building is existing for sure.” says Hendrickson.

The advocacy group, Homeward Bound is getting people into the housing complex and the directors say that they say the idea is long overdue. “Converting an office building to supportive housing is a great use of basically derelict space. It really will be life changing for those who get to live there.” says Paul Fordham, Homeward Bound Marin.

Housing advocates hope this giant office space conversion can be used as a model for other parts of the Bay Area and beyond. This is Eden Housing’s first office to housing project, and she hopes it’s not the last. “It’s expensive to convert offices to housing but we are taking note of everything we learn to see if we can do it again in the future.” says Kate Blessing-Kawamura, Eden Housing.

The project is scheduled to be complete in late 2024.

More about the project: Casa Canal.