Marin IJ Editorial: Time Has Come For Patient San Rafael to Shrink Homeless Camp

The San Rafael City Council’s decision to stem the growth of homeless camps along Andersen Drive comes after years of trying to help those who have pitched their tents along the busy street.

The site they have chosen is inappropriate, unsanitary and, according to police, unsafe.

The city’s work to open a compound of temporary mini-cabins for the homeless will allow for a transition for those campers and provide them with the safe housing they need and onsite counseling to help lift them out of the spiral of homelessness.

“Once we know when the Merrydale project will open, the individuals on Andersen are able to relocate to that project,” said Assistant City Manager John Stefanski.

In the coming months, however, the city doesn’t want the Andersen encampment to grow.

The city has been patient, likely a lot more patient than nearby businesses might prefer.

The Andersen Drive encampment started closer to downtown in 2023. It moved after the city banned camping at Albert Park, after reports of disturbances and complaints from park users. Campers pitched their tents along Mahon Creek Path and along Andersen. Since then, there have been reports of drug use, littering and other problems, including sanitation issues.

In March, a woman was charged with murdering another camper.

A city-sanctioned camp with 50 tents was created, but an estimated 14 to 22 people have been camping along Andersen, according to the city.

After more than three years and a significant investment of taxpayers dollars on services and tents, it should be hard to present a case that the city has not been patient or tolerant of the hardships the campers face.

The opening of the cabin compound at the city-owned Merrydale Road property should reinforce that conclusion.

For several years, the city’s hands were tied, prohibited by a federal court ruling banning enforcement of anti-camping laws if no other housing was available.

Taxpayer money and time was invested in creating housing, but the number of units couldn’t keep pace with the growth of the encampments in San Rafael, Novato and Sausalito.

That ruling was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the removal of homeless encampments from state-owned lands and encouraged counties and cities to follow his lead.

Committed to its “Housing First” strategy as a step to provide homeless with the safety, security and counseling they need, the city has built needed housing and is working to open the Merrydale compound in the fall.

Merrydale is estimated to cost $11 million. The temporary mini-cabins are expected to be replaced by construction of 80 low-rent apartments.

Besides banning new campers along Andersen, the council also banned camping in a defined open area between Merrydale and the Civic Center SMART station in response to neighbors’ concerns that the Merrydale compound will become a magnet for campers.

Some neighbors want that ban expanded.

Neighbors and businesses along Andersen have put up with the encampments long enough. The areas were never meant for – or equipped – for people to live on.

While some campers have accepted the local services and helping hands to get out of homelessness, others face problems and issues to be able to make that transition.

They may not be able to cope with the rules and restrictions that will be enforced at Merrydale.

Allowing them to camp wherever they want is not the answer. It is not fair to nearby residents and businesses, who have complained about noise and crime. It is not safe or sanitary.

Is it compassionate to allow someone to live in a trash-strewn encampment that lacks sanitary services or reasonable safety?

The city even approved expansion of the Mill Street emergency shelter, but some can’t cope with its rules.

It remains a societal dilemma that San Rafael shares with many communities across our nation.

But allowing the encampments without reasonable safety and public health measures is not the answer, for both campers and the public.

The track record of the “illegal” Andersen Drive encampment has proved that. That’s what the city’s ban is all about.