Sacramento, CA – Marin County’s Senator Mike McGuire successfully secured an additional $4 million in this year’s state budget to fill the vast majority of the funding gap needed to kick off the groundbreaking of the transformational veteran homeless housing community in Novato.

Prior to this announcement, a total of $8 million had been raised for this life changing housing development by Homeward Bound: $3 million in earlier funding secured from the State by McGuire, $2 million from the County of Marin, $2 million from the Marin Community Foundation, $750,000 from the City of Novato, and $250,000 from local foundations. Now, with the $4 million, a total of $12 million has been raised for the development.

“Nearly a quarter of all homeless residents in California are veterans. This is a scourge on our society. That’s why it’s been so critical to get this funding secured, so we can start moving dirt and then roll out the welcome mat and honor Marin’s veterans,” Senator McGuire said.

The Homeward Bound project will be situated on a 2.8 acre parcel in Hamilton directly adjacent to their New Beginnings Center and will complete the homeless services campus on that site with 24 units of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) for homeless veterans, 26 units of PSH for individuals and families transitioning out of homelessness and re-entering the local workforce, and an expanded workforce development and social enterprise training hub.

“This has been a 100% team approach and we couldn’t be more grateful to the Novato City Council, Supervisor Arnold and the Board of Supervisors along with the Marin Community Foundation for their incredible partnership. We have all teamed up to advance something no other county in Northern California has been able to accomplish - ending veteran homelessness,” Senator Mike McGuire said.

The project would create the first permanent supportive housing in Marin County dedicated to homeless veterans.

“Senator McGuire has been with us every step of the way. This $4 million will allow us to break ground on these units that will end veteran homelessness in Marin County.  We are so incredibly grateful for Senator McGuire’s leadership, and our partners at the City of Novato, the County of Marin, the Marin Community Foundation, and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their support. We can’t wait to turn over the keys and welcome Marin veterans into their new home,” said Paul Fordham and Mary Kay Sweeney of Homeward Bound of Marin.”

Community partners, working with Homeward Bound, have identified a by-name-list of homeless veterans. The team, including the department of Veterans Affairs, is making great progress housing homeless veterans one person at a time. These additional new units of supportive housing will actually end veteran homelessness for the remaining individuals. Any veterans who fall into homelessness after that will be prioritized for the next available local housing opportunity.

Construction of the project is expected to break ground in late 2022. 

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ABOUT HOMEWARD BOUND OF MARIN: 

Founded in 1974, Homeward Bound provides shelter and supportive housing to families and adults experiencing homelessness through 16 inter-related programs serving an average of 1,000 people yearly. Its programs include emergency shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing, and job training at Fresh Starts Culinary Academy. For more information, visit www.hbofm.org.