Larkspur Plan Would Convert Fmr. Skilled Nursing Facility Into Housing For Homeless Adults

LARKSPUR (BCN/CBS SF) -- A former skilled nursing facility in Larkspur is being eyed as a potential new Project Homekey site for housing people who are currently homeless.

City officials are working with Marin County and Episcopal Community Services on a grant proposal through the state's Project Homekey program to convert the facility at 1251 S. Eliseo Drive into 43-units of "permanent supportive housing" for single adults experiencing homelessness in the county, according to a joint statement released Tuesday.

"This development is a win-win. It revitalizes an underutilized property and brings much needed housing for some of Marin's most vulnerable people," said Larkspur Mayor Kevin Haroff.

In addition to housing, the site would feature a range of services including case management, mental health, educational and vocational programs.

Episcopal Community Services is currently negotiating to buy the building, which sits on a bucolic stretch of Corte Madera Creek, and would also serve as the facility's operator.

Officials plan to submit the grant application in early October.

The project will be subject to "an exhaustive vetting process," during which organizers will seek public input, according to Tuesday's announcement.

If the state funding comes through, Episcopal Community Services, the city and county plan to form an advisory group that would include representatives from all three organizations, as well as neighborhood stakeholders and people "with lived experiences of homelessness."

While cost estimates are in the early stages and could change, the total price tag is thought to be roughly $20.5 million, with the county kicking in about $8 million and the rest coming from the state, according to ECS spokesman Alex Tourk.

If all goes well, the new housing could come on line by the end of 2022, Tourk said.

Homelessness
Marin County