San Rafael advances 350 Midale interim shelter plan with detailed Good Neighbor policy; council approves operational direction

City staff briefed the City Council on Monday on the development and operational plans for a 65‑unit interim shelter on the city‑owned 2.5‑acre site at 350 Midale Road and on the results of a state Encampment Resolution Fund (ERF3) grant that supported a sanctioned camping area (SCA).

"We currently have 52 folks on site," said Daniel Coopermanman, the city’s Community Services division director, describing the SCA outcomes and the case‑management supports contracted through county partners. He told the council the SCA had helped participants obtain benefits, increase income for some and move several people into residential treatment; seven participants had been permanently housed from the site to date.

Coopermanman said the Midale interim shelter proposal envisions 65 tiny‑home units, on‑site case management and low‑barrier, housing‑first operations. Staff presented a combined Good Neighbor policy and participant code of conduct (eighth iteration) that clarifies prohibited behaviors (violence, threats, distribution/possession of activities that create safety risk), quiet hours, guest policies and a three‑step graduated accountability framework for minor infractions while preserving voluntary supportive services and a housing‑first approach.

Nearby residents raised questions about noise, quiet hours, drug use on site, the phased move from the SCA to the Midale site, parking and traffic, and the project timetable. Staff responded that the recommended primary entrance would be on Redwood Boulevard (staff entrance on Midale), that moves from the SCA would be phased over several weeks rather than a single day, and that the ERF3 grant funds shelter operations through June 2027 with an option to extend to 2029 if additional funding can be secured. Staff also said the city has an RFP out to select an affordable‑housing developer to entitle permanent housing on the site by June 30, 2028, per grant requirements.

Public commenters included nearby residents who praised staff engagement but asked for stricter quiet hours and clearer enforcement; others and some service‑providers urged fast implementation and preservation of a low‑barrier approach to keep people off the street and reduce exposure to crimes at unregulated encampments.

After public comment and discussion, Council voted to receive the project update and provide direction to staff to proceed with the proposed operational framework, the combined participant code of conduct and the Good Neighbor policy.

What happens next: staff will finalize operational documents, continue community outreach, select site contractors and operators, coordinate a phased move from the sanctioned camping area to the Midale interim shelter, and pursue fundraising and a developer selection process for permanent affordable housing on the site.