About Our New Health Center
Our Passion, Our Mission
Since 1980, Ritter Center has partnered with our community to help thousands of individuals experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness find and maintain stable housing; access medical and behavioral health care; secure nutritious food; and connect with essential safety-net and social services that support the whole person.
Today, we invite you to join us in a transformative capital campaign to purchase and renovate a new, state-of-the-art health center at 800 A Street in San Rafael. With your leadership and generosity, this facility will embody dignity, respect, and hope for those we serve—and expand access to critical services for Marin County’s most vulnerable children, families, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness and economic insecurity.
Your support now will help secure the final funding needed to open our doors in 2026—debt free—and ensure this vital community resource is strong and sustainable for generations to come.
Why Move, Why Now
Since 1980, Ritter Center has partnered with our community to deliver life-saving housing, healthcare, and support services to Marin County’s most vulnerable neighbors. Since 2017 alone, Ritter Center has helped more than 900 chronically homeless individuals secure permanent housing through a Housing First philosophy that Ritter Center helped lead locally—and 94% remain stably housed today. Ritter Center works.
Together with our supporters, we are ending homelessness, providing essential medical and behavioral healthcare, and serving as Marin County’s only designated Federally Qualified Health Center for the Homeless. We are uniquely equipped to serve individuals with the most complex needs and are often the court of last resort for those whose challenges cannot be adequately addressed elsewhere.
While homelessness is decreasing due in part to these efforts, achieving and maintaining housing stability requires the ongoing supportive services Ritter Center provides. The need remains urgent. In Marin County, many individuals and families live just one paycheck away from homelessness as housing remains scarce and costs continue to rise. To afford the average monthly rent of $2,820 for a one-bedroom apartment, a person must earn $112,800 annually—3.4 times the state minimum wage. Meanwhile, the maximum Social Security Income benefit is only $1,182.94 per month for an individual adult.
This stark gap underscores why Ritter Center’s work is essential—and why your partnership matters now more than ever. With your support, we can continue to provide the housing stability, healthcare, and compassionate services our community relies on, ensuring that no one is left without care, dignity, or hope.
Marin County 2024 Point in Time Count
862
individuals experiencing homelessness had unmet needs
24%
decrease in chronic homelessness
12%
decrease in family homelessness
75%
of extremely low-income families pay more than half of their income on rent
Today’s Challenges
Our longtime home at 16 Ritter Street has been a place of service since 1980, but it now severely limits our ability to meet the growing needs of our community. The building’s constraints—insufficient office and medical space, no parking, outdated infrastructure, inadequate indoor waiting areas, and an environment that falls short of the dignity our clients deserve—directly impact our capacity to deliver timely, high-quality care. A larger, modern facility is no longer optional; it is essential to sustaining and expanding our life-saving services.
Improving Services
Standing at nearly 14,000 sq. ft., the new center will have the following:
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2x the medical exam rooms
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Modern healthcare equipment
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Confidential behavioral health rooms
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Lab for on-site testing
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Treatment room for minor procedures
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Meditation and lactation room
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Off-street parking and EV charging capacity
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Large, interior waiting rooms
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Medical team room
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2x the current food pantry
As a result, Ritter Center will increase healthcare equity and quality of care by:
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Expanding women's health services
- Adding ancillary pediatric services
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Adding supportive employment services
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Queuing pantry and clinic visitors inside
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Providing greater variety of food options
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Providing food to more senior clients
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Uniting our staff under one roof
Our Impact
See how our work helps people in need and benefits the community.
Book a Tour and Learn More
Our Capital Campaign Cabinet is hosting intimate home gatherings and private VIP hard hat tours to share updates on our program—and to invite community members to play a meaningful role in bringing this vision to life.
