San Rafael and Marin County weigh interim shelters, tiny‑home villages and camping bans amid legal and funding constraints

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. — City and county officials met April 18 at a special joint wellness subcommittee meeting to discuss expanding interim shelter options — including sanctioned camps and tiny‑home villages — as a way to reduce street encampments while legal and funding questions remain unresolved.

City Manager Christine Lillovich told the subcommittee the city’s legal advisers have warned against imposing new, broad camping prohibitions unless “we need to have alternative shelter available to do any sort of additional prohibition.” Lillovich said the city plans to pursue interim shelter options rather than an immediate appellate legal fight over local camping rules.

The discussion centered on three practical constraints: legal risk from prior litigation, short‑term availability of operating funds, and the need for county participation. County Executive Derek Johnson told the group that housing vouchers secured during the pandemic will begin to lapse and keeping people housed will cost the county millions: “it’s about $4,000,000 a year,” he said, referring to the county’s estimated cost to preserve recently issued vouchers.

Why it matters: officials said a paired approach — adding interim shelter capacity while tightening time, place and manner restrictions in…