City Council Supports Homeward Bound Housing Project

's project to at a property in Hamilton now has $400,00 worth of support from the city of Novato.

According a story in the , the Novato City Council voted unanimously to approve the loan to Homeward Bound so it can develop the .70-acre site at 5394 Nave Drive, just east of Highway 101, and help families ease out of homelessness.

In June, Homeward Bound bought the lot previously owned by Henry Ohlhoff Recovery Programs and operated as a 30-bed residential program for people in substance abuse recovery. The nonprofit plans to tear down existing structures and bring in prefabricated two-bedroom homes to the site, along with the potential for a communal play area and small community room. The homes would be rented to long-term tenants by Homeward Bound, which would provide ongoing support services at the site.

According to a staff report provided to the Novato City Council (see attached), the housing units are to be tailored for extremely low income residents and range from 461 square feet to 1,002 square feet. Homeward Bound said it expects each household will be comprised of either a single person or a single parent with one child.

Paul Fordham, Homeward Bound’s deputy director, that he hopes that the units would help toward meeting the city’s affordable housing goals. The organization is also planning to develop them as low-density housing — in the range of 20 units per acre.

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