Our first shelter for four families opened in 1974 in San Rafael as Marin County's interfaith community sought with vision and compassion to address the problem of homelessness.

Initially named the Marin Housing Center, our agency was formed to embark on an effort to serve those facing homelessness, which included erecting a winter shelter in a 5,000-square foot tent that rotated through various cities. It operated at the National Guard Armory in San Rafael from 1987 to 1991, at the former World College West campus in 1992, and at the Marin Civic Center in 1993.  Late that year it finally arrived at the former Hamilton Naval Air Base on a plot of land surrounded by barbed wire -- an internment camp for the homeless!

In 1994, Novato city officials began work on plans for civilian use of the Hamilton base. After lengthy talks, the council committed to develop a shelter and signed a 99-year land lease at $1 per year on an 18,000-square-foot parcel for this purpose.

Yet the county and agencies like Marin Housing Center continued to grapple with the realization that shelter alone did not solve homelessness. The answer lay in opening doors to new futures and livelihoods for independent living.

In 1996, reflecting these goals, the Marin Housing Center became Homeward Bound of Marin, with a mission of "Opening doors to safety, dignity, hope and independence."

Homeward Bound of Marin was selected to operate the new Hamilton center, which was envisioned as a campus with shelter, job-training facilities and on-site jobs for homeless individuals. New Beginnings Center opened in 2000 with help from myriad Marin businesses, government and service agencies, schools and community groups.

Its success immediately led to talk of "the next step" for people completing their journeys from crisis to stability to thriving. This concept became The Next Key Center, which opened in November 2008 with 32 affordable studio apartments, room to grow the Fresh Starts Culinary Academy and space to expand social enterprise businesses like Fresh Starts Catering and the production of chocolate Halo Truffles. It also included new administrative offices for Homeward Bound of Marin.

Homeward Bound programs continued to expand to meet the growing need for homeless services and additional program areas were developed. The 40-bed Mill Street Center, the county's only emergency shelter for adults, opened in 1986. An emergency shelter program for families began operating from two motels in Marin in 1993 and continues today as the 14-room Family Emergency Center in San Rafael.

Our original 4-family shelter has become the second-step Family Resource Center and renovations have allowed us to provide nine family rooms at this program.

We began serving people with persistent mental illness in 1987 at the former Carmel Hotel in San Rafael, now called the Voyager Carmel Center. Our Palm Court permanent supportive housing program for people with persistent mental illness opened in 2001.

Homeward Bound also focuses on permanent solutions to homelessness by providing long-term transitional and permanent housing for families and adults.

Fourth Street Center in San Rafael, with 20 single-room units, opened as Homeward Bound's first permanent housing program in 1995; while the Meadow Park and Family Park transitional housing programs opened between 2002 and 2004 for adults and families in transition.

In recent years Homeward Bound has partnered with affordable housing developers to provide permanent shelter solutions for homeless families and adults.  Beginning in 2007, we entered a partnership with EAH where Homeward Bound staff provides supportive services to formerly homeless families resident in their "San Clemente Village" program in Corte Madera.

In a similar model, Homeward Bound will partner with Citizen's Housing Corp. to provide services to formerly homeless families and seniors at their "Fireside Apartments" in Mill Valley - a permanent affordable housing center, set to open in Spring 2009.