This month, MEHC board member Warren Wells offers MEHC’s Perspective on the outsized impact of policies which favor car culture, and the unintended consequences of parking requirements. Did you know that Marin has 4000 acres of parking? Read on… and send us your comments. Marin’s off-street parking requirements are driving up costs and increasing traffic. Here’s how. UN-PAVING PARADISEWhat if…
G R E E T I N G S ! In this Perspective, we offer a virtual tour of seventeen of Marin’s existing affordable housing complexes. The map linked here shows each development in its location. Our point: affordable housing is already here. It can be beautiful, and the residents are valued members of our community. Let us know if you enjoy…
What are Marin cities and towns, and the county, doing to prevent displacement? As housing costs in Marin continue to soar despite national trends, tenant protections have become a hot topic. Fairfax, Larkspur, and unincorporated Marin County have implemented or are discussing tenant protections. Though many of the Marin Housing Elements contain provisions promising to implement protections, these provisions remain controversial. Anti-displacement…
TO ADDRESS ITS HOUSING SHORTAGE, California implemented a Housing Element process over 50 years ago. The process requires each local city and county to adopt a Housing Element that must be updated and certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) every 8 years (an 8-year “Housing Cycle”). So far, this program has failed…
MEHC stands for affordable housing. In Marin, conversations around affordable housing often center on the great need for workforce housing, including teacher housing. We desperately need this housing, but the conversation leaves out another group in great need of affordable housing: older residents. Marin County is experiencing a demographic transformation. While our population is stable, our…
Never mind the record-shattering atmospheric river that hit the Bay Area this October, Marin (like most of the western US) is still in a state of extreme drought. Despite the fact that local reservoirs are now up to 57% of capacity from a paltry 32% in early October, this is still well below the annual…
Marin Updates:Some important Marin housing issues have emerged in the last several months. These include the start of a new Housing Element update cycle for 2023-2031, MMWD’s proposed ban on new water hookups, the Mill Valley Housing Advisory Committee’s proposal to explore city-owned land for a proactive affordable housing initiative, and the rising visibility of…
In addition to the high hurdle of public opposition, a significant barrier to creating new affordable housing, especially in Marin, is the high cost of land. In our January newsletter, we discussed California’s Surplus Lands Act, which makes affordable housing one of the top priorities for the sale of surplus public land. This month, we…
While cities and towns are required to plan for a certain number of affordable units—getting those units built has been a struggle. With the demise of redevelopment agencies (and funding) in 2012, jurisdictions have been forced to rely upon private for-profit and non-profit developers to create that housing. Along with public opposition, the high cost…