San Rafael renews contracts for homelessness camp
San Rafael has approved about $1.5 million in services contracts to continue operating its camp for homeless people for another year.
The 47-tent encampment is between Lincoln Avenue and Andersen Drive at the northern part of the Mahon Creek Path. The grant-funded camp opened in October, providing residents with tents, bedding, supplies and access to support services designed to help them on the path to housing.
“Encampments are a crisis playing in cities across California,” Mayor Kate Colin said. “The Mahon Path site is successful in supporting people, and even though it isn’t a permanent solution, it’s a step toward safety, stability and dignity for people who’ve been living outdoors.”
The City Council approved the contract amendments at its meeting on June 23. All amendments lock in the services providers through the end of next June.
The approvals included a $200,000 amendment with FS Global for trash removal and cleanup services. The initial contract of $150,000 funded expired Monday.
FS Global has averaged 112 cubic yards of debris removal each month since its contract began in October, staff said.
The agreement involves coordination with city staff and the San Rafael Police Department to identify and clean up sites, conduct site evaluations, manage equipment rentals, dispose of debris, adhere to safety protocols and provide a post-service report and update, staff said.
The funding for the allocation will be drawn from the city’s community services division budget, staff said.
Two other contract agreements for about $1.425 million will be paid for using money from the state Encampment Resolution Funding Program allocation used to set up the site in October.
The approvals include extending the city agreement with FS Global in the amount of $675,000 to continue providing site management services for the next year. That brings the contract total up to $1.35 million.
Another contract amendment increases the city’s agreement with Defense Block Security by $750,000 for the next year. The extension brings the contract total to $1.6 million.
“Costs for the first year of operations came in on budget, reinforcing the assumptions made during initial planning,” said Daniel Cooperman, the community services division director.
Cooperman said the site has been successful.
“In the spring of this year, the program marked a key milestone when its first two participants successfully transitioned into permanent housing,” he said.
Additionally, the grant-funded case management services have expanded, providing support to 60% of the residents of the encampment, he said. The county, which partnered with the city to apply for the grant funding and launch the camp, is also working to recruit another two case managers, Cooperman said.
Last year, the county secured a total of about $18 million in Encampment Resolution Funding Program grants to address homelessness in Marin. San Rafael’s share is $5.99 million for the Mahon Creek camp.
Colin said there are still plans beyond the Mahon Creek site.
“Our hope is to partner with the county on a tiny-home village that offers a more lasting path forward,” Colin said.