Our Programs for Homeless Families
Providing shelter, housing and support for homeless families in Marin.
Families who need services can call our shelter team at 415-457-2115.
Shelter and supportive housing
Our shelter provides services to address the trauma experienced by homeless families and open paths to housing. This program is the only emergency shelter for homeless families in Marin County.
Along with the shelter, Homeward Bound of Marin operates eight supportive housing programs for families that extend services while parents and children stabilize, set goals and create a sustainable future.
Kaitlin's story
After the death of her grandmother, Kaitlin became homeless at the age of 15. She found herself at various times on the streets, in foster care, juvenile hall and jail. Eventually she arrived at our shelter, where things began to change.
“Right then, I just needed a place to live,” she says. The trauma of being without a home for years left her unsure how to build a better life for her son, Majesty.
Our staff helped her set personal and financial goals to restore her independence. Now living in a San Francisco apartment, Kaitlin works for a nonprofit doing street outreach, wellness checks and other services for the unhoused community.
“If it wasn’t for Homeward Bound, I would still be homeless, but they never gave up on me.”
She looks back on her journey with gratitude. “They opened up doors in my life that I never had seen for myself,” Kaitlin says. “I feel like I’m living for something now.”
Our services for homeless families
Services and resources include counseling, parenting workshops, children’s activities, and help with finding child care, accessing health care, pursuing educational goals or job training, and securing long-term housing.
Assisting homeless families of all ages
Our staff acts as the first point of contact in the county’s integrated system for assessing and serving homeless families. In 2023, we launched a program tailored for parenting youth to meet their unique needs as they reach for stability and progress.
Family Center - shelter services
The Family Center provides shelter for nine families at a shared home in San Rafael. This building has served families since 1974 and also hosted our first administrative offices.
Due to high demand for services, we maintain a waiting list of families needing help who can be referred to rooms in Family Center as they become available.
Family Center operates as a “housing-focused shelter,” with all residents expected to engage in developing plans for stable housing.
Contact the team: 415-457-2115
Supportive housing for families
A dire lack of affordable housing options has prompted Homeward Bound of Marin to develop supportive housing programs for families. Parents and children continue to receive case management services like help to access benefits, job training, child care or other community resources.
Along with building properties like Oma Village and the Next Key Apartments, Homeward Bound partners with affordable housing property managers like Eden Housing. Through the federal Continuum of Care program. Homeward Bound also partners with landlords to lease apartments around Marin for families overcoming homelessness.
Housing options for families
Fireside Apartments - Mill Valley
Ten homes at this site developed by Eden Housing.
Oma Village - Novato
Fourteen apartments opened in 2017.
Next Key Apartments - Novato
Four apartments opened in 2008.
Cecilia's story
When her apartment developed black mold, Cecilia had to move out but found nothing affordable to someone working in a winery tasting room. As her savings ran low, she connected with Homeward Bound and our Fresh Starts Culinary Academy.
“I didn’t want to live like a gypsy in a caravan,” she says. After her Fresh Starts graduation, however, she faced a cancer diagnosis and treatment that made a culinary job impossible. Support from our staff helped her transition with her teenage son to our Oma Village housing program and she found work at a local insurance agency.
Cecilia soon became the top seller in her office. Her son Arnie, meanwhile, began studies at College of Marin.
The family ended their four-year stay at Oma Village when Cecilia purchased a condo in Florida to be near her sister.
“Homeward Bound was a light in the dark for me and Oma Village was a blessing.”
