TL;DR: San Rafael begins moving 42 residents into the 350 Merrydale Road interim shelter during the week of Nov. 23, 2026, and expects up to 65 people on site by the end of January 2027.

San Rafael will start welcoming residents to the 350 Merrydale Road interim shelter in Terra Linda during the week of Nov. 23, 2026, beginning with 42 people, according to a city letter dated Nov. 13, 2026, that lays out the move-in schedule, safety measures and contact routes for neighbors.

The first group arrives across that week rather than on a single day. Security is staffed around the clock, every day of the week, and FS Global manages daily operations at the site. The people moving in are currently unsheltered, camping in tents within San Rafael's Sanctioned Camping Area, and the city calls moving them indoors quickly a priority.

A staged intake, one group at a time

San Rafael is filling the site in waves. Each group gets a week in which staff can assist arrivals and check that security and services work as intended before the next group comes in, the city says.

Two milestones are published:

  • First cohort: 42 residents, arriving over the week that begins Nov. 23, 2026.
  • Full occupancy: up to 65 residents by the end of January 2027.

The 65 private cabins come with electricity, heating and locks, Northern California Public Media reported in June. The city-sanctioned camp on Mahon Creek Path, where 53 people lived under 50 canopies as of that reporting, offered 24-hour security and case managers.

The forecast driving the timetable

The city's letter ties the schedule to winter storms: forecasters expect a strong El Niño, and the city warns that low-lying parts of San Rafael could flood.

NOAA's U.S. Winter Outlook, published Oct. 15, 2026, favors wetter-than-average conditions across the southern tier of the country, from California to Florida, and warmer-than-average temperatures in northern California. Ken Graham, director of NOAA's National Weather Service, said in the release that "too much precipitation on dry soil can fuel destructive flash floods and mudslides."

NOAA reported Nov. 4 that a strong El Niño helped push California water levels to records at four locations between Oct. 24 and Oct. 30, 2026, including San Diego's highest reading on record at 2.80 feet above mean higher high water. The agency projected above-normal high tides from Nov. 22 to 27 and from Dec. 22 to 26, 2026, with a higher chance of flooding on those days. The first Merrydale arrivals fall inside the November window.

Who neighbors call, and for what

The city split its contact list by the type of problem:

  • Immediate safety or medical emergency: 911.
  • Mental health support, de-escalation calls or non-urgent medical help: SAFE Team, (415) 458-7233.
  • Vandalism, suspicious activity or other non-emergency police matters: San Rafael Police Department non-emergency line, (415) 485-3000.
  • Noise, trash or after-hours problems at the shelter: FS Global, (415) 272-3224.
  • General questions: Community Services Division, (415) 256-5565, or [email protected].

The city asks neighbors to report concerns and says prompt reports help staff resolve issues quickly. Each number maps to one category of call, from 911 emergencies to trash and after-hours noise.

Rules every resident accepts before move-in

No one moves in without agreeing to the Good Neighbor Policy, according to the city. Its terms include:

  • Quiet hours run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., with music, calls and conversation kept low enough not to carry.
  • No loitering outside the property, on the SMART pathway or in nearby residential blocks.
  • No tents or encampments anywhere in San Rafael while a person is enrolled at 350 Merrydale Rd.
  • Smoking only in designated outdoor areas, and no alcohol or drugs in shared spaces.

The city says the complete policy is available on the project page.

What changed after neighborhood feedback

Neighbors spent the past year in community meetings, submitting questions and comments, and the city says that input shaped the final operating plan. Three site changes followed:

  • The main entrance moved from Merrydale Road to Redwood Highway to reduce impacts on nearby streets.
  • New fencing was designed with height, materials and screening picked to answer neighbors' concerns.
  • Security cameras and lighting were added for better visibility.

After the shelter: 80 homes and a 2028 deadline

Merrydale is not permanent housing. The city's Oct. 16 announcement describes an interim shelter lasting two to three years, with permanent affordable homes to follow. Under the agreement with Marin County, the property must include a minimum of 80 affordable homes, with entitlement due by June 30, 2028. San Rafael bought the site in November 2025 with county funding.

The City Council voted Oct. 5, 2026, to open exclusive negotiations with Eden Housing for development at 350 Merrydale Road and 3833 Redwood Highway. That vote did not approve a project: it gives the city and Eden up to 12 months to settle terms, and a final development and disposition agreement would still need Planning Commission review and then council approval. City Manager Paul Navazio said "there's a lot of work ahead, including feasibility studies and community meetings on the design."

The interim build carries a price tag of roughly $12.5 million, including $8 million from the county's Affordable Housing Trust, Northern California Public Media reported in June, citing community services division director Daniel Cooperman. That outlet also reported the cabin site is due to shut by June 30, 2029.

What to watch next

Three dates anchor the next few months: arrivals begin the week of Nov. 23, 2026; the site is due to hold up to 65 residents by the end of January 2027; and NOAA's next three-month outlook update is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2026.

NOAA's Oct. 15 outlook covers December 2026 through February 2027, the window in which the Merrydale site is scheduled to fill.

Related: San Diego Opens Overnight Shelters as Rachel Soaks County

Sources referenced