This article digs into a troubling case out of San Francisco. It’s raised all kinds of questions about safety, staffing, and accountability in Housing First programs—and, honestly, what it might mean for Marin County folks relying on similar services in places like San Rafael, Mill Valley, and Sausalito.
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What happened at HomeRise in San Francisco
The story centers on Wilton “Eric” McCain, a 54-year-old living at the Jazzie Collins supportive-housing complex in San Francisco. He was found dead and moderately decomposed on November 16, 2023.
Investigators noted he hadn’t been seen for 12 days, except for a pest-control visit when he turned staff away because he felt sick. In Marin County towns like San Anselmo and Corte Madera, families have quietly wondered how wellness checks actually work in nearby cities that house vulnerable people.
McCain’s sister Aisha says HomeRise staff ignored the nonprofit’s own wellness-check rules, which say they should find residents who haven’t been seen for 72 hours. An independent investigation found staff faked records to show checks that never happened—surveillance footage made that clear.
HomeRise runs 18 supportive-housing sites and takes in about $41 million a year to house roughly 1,500 people who were previously unhoused. This model has drawn more scrutiny around the Bay Area, including in Marin towns like Novato and Larkspur.
City audits and inspection reports pointed out ongoing problems: not enough staff at several properties, spending on things that weren’t essential, and a lack of required services like mental-health care and crisis intervention. After McCain’s death, San Francisco’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing sent a corrective-action letter and put HomeRise under the city’s strictest monitoring.
The city attorney’s office also launched a separate probe. It’s a sign that the program, which serves people in the Bay Area’s urban core and its suburbs, faces a broader reckoning.
Timeline and key findings
The Chronicle and UC Berkeley looked beyond McCain’s case. Since the building opened in 2022, at least three other residents were found decomposing days after they were last seen.
Family members and advocates, especially Aisha, pushed officials, asked for records, and demanded accountability. They argued that not following Housing First principles put vulnerable tenants at risk.
City officials say it’s tough to balance enforcement with protecting people who rely on HomeRise. They’re pressing the nonprofit to step up and improve how it operates.
Regulatory response and the broader policy context
In San Francisco, these revelations have put the city’s approach to supportive housing under a brighter spotlight. Regulators have cited poor staffing, bad recordkeeping, and questionable spending in HomeRise facilities.
This has sparked debates about whether public money actually leads to safe, well-staffed places for people moving out of homelessness. Even though Marin County residents might not directly fund HomeRise, the incident sends ripples through counties like Marin, where Housing First programs are part of the regional response in cities like San Rafael, Tiburon, and Mill Valley.
Officials say the response needs to protect residents while pushing for real improvements—retraining staff, tightening supervision, and strengthening systems for wellness checks and crisis intervention. HomeRise fired an employee accused of faking wellness-check entries and says it’s committed to stronger oversight.
For Marin, all this just highlights the need for transparent oversight of local support services. It also shows how important solid staffing is in any program that serves vulnerable people in the Golden Gate region.
What this means for Marin County and Bay Area communities
Marin County keeps pushing its own housing-first efforts. Still, the HomeRise case brings up a few tough issues for all Bay Area towns, including San Anselmo, Fairfax, and San Rafael:
- Strong documentation and solid verification for wellness checks really matter if you want to protect residents.
- Adequate staffing and steady training aren’t optional when it comes to safety and quality service.
- Independent oversight makes a difference—records should show what’s actually happening, not just what’s easy for administrators.
- Audits and corrective actions need to lead to real changes people can see, whether you’re in Sausalito or Novato.
For Marin folks who care about accountability, this case is a wake-up call. Public funds should create safe, well-staffed spaces wherever Housing First programs run, whether that’s under the city lights of San Francisco or up in the hills of Fairfax and Tiburon.
It also points to how crucial it is to involve families and advocates, stay on top of records requests, and keep watchful oversight. That’s the only way to keep the most vulnerable residents safe.
As Marin communities see how San Francisco handles accountability, people in Ross, San Anselmo, and nearby towns will keep an eye out for lessons. Maybe those lessons can help strengthen local housing programs, protect residents, and keep public trust alive in the Bay Area’s big push to end homelessness with both heart and skill.
Here is the source article for this story: Missed checks left an S.F. supportive housing resident dead for days
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