As the Mayor’s Housing First project, in partnership with the Richmond Rotary Club, continues to place previously homeless persons into apartments, finding willing landlords is a major challenge, especially in Richmond where Rent Control and Just Cause have made landlords leery of taking any but the most qualified tenants.

Remarkably, there is no shortage of available apartments, just a shortage of willing landlords.

To mitigate the risk of taking a tenant without a full-time job and excellent credit rating, we are paying 100% of a year’s rent in advance.

If you are a landlord or know someone with a studio or one-bedroom apartment willing to rent to a previously homeless person, please contact me directly at tom.butt@intres.com.

Many of our program participants are single mothers, like Corliss, who will live rent-free for the next year in a one-bedroom apartment in San Pablo, thanks to a willing landlord.  Richmond Rotary members will continue to support Corliss in many ways, with the goal of her getting back on her feet and becoming self-sustaining by the end of a year.

Figure 2 - Corliss and son

Figure 3 - Bedroom in new apartment


Figure 4 - Kitchen in new apartment

Figure 5 – bathroom in new apartment.

We are seeking funding to expand this very successful program. If you would like to donate, make a check out to Richmond Community Foundation – Mayor’s Community Fund and mail it to:

Tom Butt, Mayor
City of Richmond
450 Civic Center Plaza
Richmond CA 94804