Two centers -Mill Street Center and New Beginnings Center - compose the bulk of our Adult Services Program, which is aimed at helping individuals in crisis discover how to achieve their own new beginnings. We also offer transitional and permanent housing options at The Next Key Center, the Fireside Apartments and Fourth Street Center.
The "front door" of our Adult Services Program, the 40-bed Mill Street Center in San Rafael is the county's only emergency shelter for homeless individuals. It serves both men and women in separate dormitory-style rooms.
A network of volunteers from three dozen churches and community groups shares a monthly rotation to provide a home-cooked hot meal to Mill Street residents. This significant gift has endured since the center's opening more than 21 years ago.
Twenty beds at Mill Street are designated for emergency night-to-night stays, with another 20 beds reserved for those who have committed to ending homelessness in their lives and begun work on their personal action plan. As space becomes available, committed residents "graduate" to New Beginnings Center, where they can stay up to six months.
190 Mill Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
415-457-9651 or 800-428-1488
New Beginnings Center, or NBC, is an 80-bed shelter for single homeless adults in the Hamilton area of Novato. This state-of-the-art center combining shelter, job training and work experience opportunities opened in 2000 as the first homeless shelter in the country built on a decommissioned military base.
Residents may stay up to six months at NBC, with 16 beds set aside for homeless veterans in a partnership with the state Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans have the option of extending their stay at NBC for up to two years.
1399 N. Hamilton Parkway
Novato, CA 94949
415-382-3532
New Beginnings Center offers on-site programs for employment skills training. These include:
Fresh Starts Culinary Academy - This culinary job-training program operates in partnership with the Marin County Office of Education's Regional Occupation Program. It offers a five-month class in cooking basics and food service techniques twice per year, with enrollment open to members of the public as well as Homeward Bound residents. Read more about Fresh Starts Culinary Academy or see a short film about its programs.
Janitorial and Building Maintenance - Our apprentices work with maintenance staff to perform repairs and janitorial tasks at the center.
Landscaping and Garden Maintenance - Our apprentices work in the organic produce garden at NBC as well as maintain landscaping around the facility.
Based on sufficient demand, NBC also offers occasional computer skills classes and Social Services Technician Training (a partnership with the Marin County Office of Education's Regional Occupation Program.)
Transitional and Permanent Housing for Homeless Adults
Because affordable housing is in short supply, Homeward Bound provides extended options for adults in transition. While at these sites, men and women continue to receive support services that may include counseling, job training and job retention support, along with credit repair or money management classes. Our programs include:
This center offers 32 affordable studio apartments adjacent to New Beginnings Center in the Hamilton area of Novato. The project provides a model of "employment enhancement housing," allowing homeless adults to continue investing in their futures through job training or education while retaining employment, sobriety, and living independently. Residents may participate in training programs at Homeward Bound or elsewhere, including enrollment at local colleges or employer-sponsored programs such as Starbucks Management Training.
The Next Key apartments are part of a larger complex that includes Homeward Bound administrative offices, a community culinary center with demonstration kitchen, and a commercial kitchen with room to grow the Fresh Starts Culinary Academy as well as social enterprise businesses like Fresh Starts Catering and production of our chocolate Halo Truffles. The Next Key Center is designed to be financially self-supporting.
Read more about The Next Key Center
The Next Key Center
1385 N. Hamilton Parkway
Novato, CA 94949
415-382-3363
An option for residents in our Adult Services Program who have significant barriers to market-rate housing, Fourth Street Center offers 20 single-room units for single adults.
Along with long-term housing, this center offers counseling and other support services for residents who continue developing their independent living skills. Residents share a communal kitchen and living area in a space that occupies the second floor over several street-level businesses.
1111 Fourth Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
Ten units at the Fireside Apartments in Mill Valley, managed by Eden Housing Corp., provide permanent affordable housing for seniors exiting Homeward Bound's programs. Residents receive ongoing support services from on-site Homeward Bound staff.
115 Shoreline Hwy.
Mill Valley, CA 94941
