Marin County Doubles COVID-19 Rental Assistance Fund For Homeless

(SAN RAFAEL) - The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved doubling the size of an existing safety net COVID-19 Response Fund for immediate rental assistance for the homeless and those facing homelessness.

The county and the Marin Community Foundation each contributed $500,000 to the relief fund on March 24. Of the $1 million, $650,000 was allocated for rental assistance between March 31 and June 30.

After the safety net fund was established, 1,475 requests totaling $2.4 million for rental assistance were received.

"The scale of need was intense," Ashley McIntyre Hart, of the county Department of Health and Human Services, told the Board of Supervisors.

Health and Human Services director Benita McLarin told the board that 480 low-income residents received April rental assistance, but the fund has run out of money and there is now a waiting list for additional requests.

The county and the Marin Community Foundation each contributed an additional $500,000 to the COVID-19 Response Fund.

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the additional $1 million grant, and directed staff to explore possible additional funding from $938,065 that is available through from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development under the federal CARES Act that could help the county provide emergency rental assistance through June 30.