CA Allots Nearly $15.5M In Housing Funds For Marin County

LARKSPUR, CA — The State of California has officially announced the allocation of $15,497,200 in Project Homekey funds for Marin County to go toward the creation of a supported living complex in Larkspur for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

The Marin Board of Supervisors will decide on Feb. 15 whether to accept the grant and match the funding with county money.

If opened, the site will operate out of a former skilled nursing facility at 1251 S. Eliseo Dr. It will permanently house between 43 and 50 adults and offer on-site support and services.

On Tuesday, the Larkspur City Council heard from over 60 people in the community about the proposed site, the majority of which opposed its development. Residents primarily said they had concerns about community safety. A local Change.org petition entitled "Keep Our Children Safe by Stopping the Homeless Facility Next to Playground and Schools" had 2,519 signatures as of Saturday.

Those that supported the idea for the apartment complex noted that the county's only mental health crisis stabilization unit already exists across the street from the proposed site and cautioned the community about making negative assumptions about people based on their housing status.

The Larkspur Council decided to pen a letter to the supervisors expressing the community's concerns, to be signed by Mayor Dan Hillmer.

The City of Larkspur has no power to accept or deny the opening of the center, only the county does. But the council can express any concerns and questions it has about the project to the supervisors.

Project Homekey is a state initiative to house chronically homeless people under a "Housing First" model that posits that getting people into stable housing is the first step to making other "voluntary life changes," such as seeking treatment or medical care.

The Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 9 a.m. Participation in the meeting can be had virtually in person, though the board cautions that the chamber only has room for up to 100 people.

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