San Rafael officials have been quietly huddling over the future of a city-owned downtown lot that could become a six-story affordable housing hub, with priority for people who have experienced homelessness. The proposal from Abode Housing Development sketches out about 56 apartments, roughly half reserved as permanent supportive housing, but council members emerged from their latest closed-door meeting without a final deal in hand.
What’s Proposed
Abode’s early concept would take out an L-shaped commercial storage building and adjacent lot at 519 Fourth Street and replace it with a six-story complex of roughly 56 apartments, mostly one-bedrooms, plus a manager’s unit. Under the plan, 28 of those homes would be designated as permanent supportive housing.
The remaining apartments would be deed-restricted at a range of deep affordability levels, from about 20% to 60% of area median income. The site itself is only about a quarter-acre, but a city staff report says the proposal could qualify as exempt surplus land under the state’s Surplus Land Act, which could streamline how the city transfers the property. According to a staff report from the City of San Rafael, the design also calls for communal open space and limited parking.
Supportive Services And Design
Abode’s response to the city’s RFP outlines a services plan that would make supportive case management available to residents throughout the building. The proposal identifies about 1.2 full-time-equivalent positions: a full-time resident services coordinator paired with a part-time program manager.
The concept includes a ground-floor lobby with on-site social services offices, a shared courtyard, and a rooftop community room with an urban-agriculture terrace. As detailed by Abode Housing Development, all units would be affordable and covered by long-term deed restrictions to keep them that way.
Talks Behind Closed Doors
The City Council met in closed session on Monday to talk "price and terms of payment" with Abode as the negotiating party. When the doors opened, there was still no final action to announce.
The Marin Independent Journal reported that the meeting wrapped without a decision, with city officials confirming that the terms are still being hammered out. Assistant City Manager Angela Robinson Piñon told the paper in an email that the proposal would help San Rafael meet its housing goals and make progress toward ending homelessness.
Funding And Timeline
The city has already put some seed money on the table. In June, the council approved up to $200,000 for Abode’s planning and entitlement work, part of a broader predevelopment package that covered three local projects. City records show that money is contingent on Abode lining up additional predevelopment funds before major design and entitlement work gets underway.
If negotiations move forward, the parties would work under an exclusive negotiating agreement, then hammer out a formal disposition-and-development agreement. That DDA would spell out whether the city ultimately sells the land, leases it, or donates it. According to the City of San Rafael, any final DDA would head back to the council for a public vote.
Developer Track Record
Abode is a Fremont-based nonprofit with experience developing supportive and deed-restricted affordable housing around the Bay Area, including projects in Fremont, Santa Clara, and Hayward. The group operates both property management and services divisions, which the proposal says would run the San Rafael building if it is built.
As outlined by Abode Housing Development, its model centers on pairing on-site services with long-term affordable housing.
What Comes Next
If negotiations stay on track, the city and Abode would move through due diligence, an appraisal, and the entitlement process before any transfer or ground lease is finalized. The city issued the original RFP in December 2023, and the council approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Abode in May 2024, leaving a public paper trail of staff reports and early designs.
Community outreach and planning hearings are expected to follow. City listings say updates and opportunities for public comment will be posted as they become available.
If it gets built, the project would bring dozens of deeply affordable homes within walking distance of San Rafael’s transit center and nearby services. City staff say they will return to the council for all final approvals, so both supporters and critics should expect a full round of public hearings if the DDA moves ahead.
