Marin County ranks first in California in both per capita and household incomes, making it one of the most affluent counties in the country. Conversely, according to United Way, 22,296 Marin households are struggling to make ends meet. This incredible contrast of economic standing presents a serious problem, as some families and individuals have been priced out of their homes. A lack of affordable housing and a high cost of living has led to a homelessness crisis in Marin, as well as in the larger Bay Area. San Rafael has one of the most significant homeless populations in Marin, and solving homelessness is a top priority for the city.
Lynn Murphy is the Mental Health Outreach Liaison with the San Rafael Police Department. Through her job, she assists the city’s homeless population in acquiring housing and providing for their needs, and as such she has witnessed many misconceptions about the homeless population.
“There’s an idea that homeless people are supposed to look and behave a certain way. There’s an ignorance about who homeless people really are and about how diverse they are. I think it's important to mention that 84 percent of the homeless [population in San Rafael] grew up in Marin,” Murphy said.
Marin’s disparities become more stark when race comes into play, as RaceCounts ranked Marin as the third most racially disparate county in California. RaceCounts uses the outcomes of numerous factors, such as Crime and Justice, Education and Health Access, to quantify the disparity of outcomes between white and nonwhite residents.
These racial disparities do not reflect the liberal political beliefs of the county as a whole. In the most recent presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden received 66.5 percent of the Marin County vote, the second-highest margin of victory in California. Marin’s residents are some of the most liberal voters in the country; however, its residents often vote down liberal financial proposals. Most recently, the Measure A ballot proposal to raise funds for Tamalpais Union High School District Schools failed to reach the 55 percent threshold needed for approval.
Beneath Marin’s liberal voting record lies a significant population that holds conservative beliefs on issues from school improvement to homelessness. This piece investigates the difference between the stated opinions of Marin residents and the thoughts and feelings of people facing homelessness and captures the perspectives of homeless individuals.
The Data
To determine the extent of Marin’s liberal beliefs on homelessness, 220 Marin voters were surveyed. To ensure that the sample matched the population proportions as closely as possible, the sample was controlled for age, race and gender.
The data shows that Marin residents believe that Marin as a whole is liberal regarding both homelessness and racism; however, many residents would not support programs to directly address these issues.
The People:
The following sections consist of anecdotes taken from interviews with homeless or formerly homeless individuals, who are currently or formerly living on streets of San Rafael.
Elesha Wright lives in San Rafael, and has been homeless for the past 10 years. In her experience, she hasn’t experienced discrimination because of her housing status. Wright commented on the reactions of Marin residents to the homeless population.
“Some people are concerned, some people are disgusted [and]some people don’t see us at all,” Wright said.
Wright’s perception of the range of opinion among Marin residents is a widespread experience among the homeless population of San Rafael that I spoke to.
Robert Cook has lived in Marin for 56 years, running seven businesses before an alcohol problem plunged him into homelessness. He spoke about his own experiences with homelessness.
“People don’t treat us like people. We’re just viewed as homeless. No one talks about the homeless’s education or careers,” Cook said.
There are many homeless people who have jobs and many others like Cook who had careers before they fell into homelessness.
Paul S.
Paul S. works at the St. Vincent de Paul society in San Rafael, which provides homeless and low income individuals and families with access to food. Paul requested to be referred using his first name and initial. Paul himself was homeless for 12 years, but has been housed since 2021.
Paul emphasized the large effect community service organizations like St. Vincent has on improving the standards of living for the homeless population
“Since we opened in 1986, [St. Vincent] has been open to feed someone every single day. There has never been a single day it was closed,” Paul said.
St. Vincent is a non profit organization whose work is made possible by support largely from the Marin community; however, Marin’s support for the homeless is not all encompassing.
“There’s a guy across the street who hates us. The only thing he sees are the drunks and the drug addicts. He doesn’t see that we help families. I mean we have diapers upstairs for little ones,” Paul said.
Jelani Freitas is a formerly homeless individual, who has recently moved into housing. He first became homeless after his parents kicked him out.
“I got kicked out when I was only 18. I had a couple of jobs, but I was only a kid and I didn't know what I was doing,” Freitas said.
Freitas highlighted his positive experiences with the community in Marin, especially within the homeless community.
“I felt very encouraged to get out of homelessness [in Marin]. There are people rooting for me.” Freitas said.
Freitas felt that Marin was quite accepting of the homeless overall, and that the community has provided him, and many homeless individuals with opportunities to succeed that would not occur elsewhere. Lynn Murphy’s position as mental health liaison provides a unique service to homeless individuals to communicate with local government in ways that would be inaccessible in many places, additionally, strong community organizations like St. Vincents helps people to get back on their feet.
Alicia Owens is a formerly homeless artist, who is currently working on opening a gallery of her art.
“I didn’t know I liked doing art until I was homeless. I didn’t consider myself an artist. I couldn't even draw a stick figure. But when I was homeless, I didn’t have anything to do so I picked up some markers and started coloring. Now I’m a full blown artist,” Owens said.
Although homelessness allowed Owens to find her passion, she stressed that homelessness is not a positive experience.
“Being homeless is not an easy task. It was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through in my life,” Owens said.
The Future
A recent survey of the homeless population in San Rafael, conducted by the police department, found that the most requested amenities are showers and accessible bathrooms. The Ritter Center in San Rafael used to have showers accessible to the homeless population at all times. This practice was ended during the COVID pandemic and has not returned. These simple amenities can be provided for relatively low costs and can greatly improve living standards among the homeless population.
Many individuals interviewed for this piece discussed feeling misunderstood by the general public, which often looks down upon the homeless community.
“The [homeless] people you talk to are so intelligent and articulate. They’re some really smart people when you get to know them. Having a place to be [themselves] and having a community is so important,” Paul said.
Improving the public’s understanding of the homeless population is crucial to addressing the homelessness crisis. Homeless people are commonly reduced to addicts or mentally ill — to be ignored as if they were a rabid dog. However, many homeless individuals are friendly and intelligent people, and a quick conversation demonstrates that they deserve empathy and compassion like everyone else. Rather than brushing the homeless population under the rug, efforts must be made to humanize homeless people and showcase their talents and expertise.
Infographics, photos, and story by Bowen Rivera