San Rafael approves operations contract for 70-unit tiny cabin site

San Rafael moved its 70-unit tiny cabin site closer to opening by approving the operations management contract that will make 350 Merrydale Road function as a managed shelter, not just a set of cabins. The City Council’s action on April 21 extended the agreement with Foege Schumann Global Disaster Solutions LLC through June 30, 2028 and added county-backed funding, a step city leaders needed before residents can move in.

That contract is the key piece for a project like Merrydale. Foege Schumann will handle the practical work that turns the site into a working interim shelter: installing the modular cabins, providing security, managing the property and keeping up with maintenance. For tiny-home villages, those responsibilities are not background details. They are the difference between a concept on paper and a site where people can safely check in, sleep, get help and stay connected to services.

The city and Marin County first announced the 350 Merrydale Road plan on October 15, 2025. It calls for 65 individual cabins serving up to 70 unique people over the life of the program, with the county funding property acquisition and site setup costs up to $8 million. San Rafael completed the purchase of the property on November 26, 2025, and has said the temporary tiny cabin community is expected to operate for about three to four years.

City materials describe the program as a bridge from homelessness to permanent housing. Each resident would have a private, lockable space, while shared bathrooms, showers and common areas would support daily life on site. The city also says the interim shelter will include meals, transportation assistance, employment counseling, case management, housing navigation, health and substance-use support, referrals to permanent housing and pet support. The current county- and community-based services at the Mahon Path Encampment are expected to continue at the new site.

The contract approval also shows how close San Rafael is getting to opening. Local reporting has pegged the temporary interim housing community for a spring 2026 launch, and city officials have said the site should operate no later than June 2029. San Rafael has framed the project as part of a longer homelessness response that includes the Homelessness Subcommittee in 2012, the Homeless Action Plan in 2013, the Service Support Area pilot in 2021 and the Mahon Creek Sanctioned Camping Area in 2024. With an operator now locked in, Merrydale is moving from planning into real-world administration.