The cost of housing is turning away both teachers and students. While many people may think that “affordable housing” only applies to those with extremely low incomes, Marin housing prices are so high that many college graduates, even with advanced degrees, cannot afford even a studio apartment. This includes many of our teachers and…
VOTE YES ON PROP 5 TO HELP MARIN BUILD AFFORDABLE HOMES The housing crisis has left California in dire straits. Due to decades of chronic underbuilding, sky-high rents now leave us with the unsavory distinction of holding the single highest functional poverty rate of the 50 states. That means even many working families – though lucky enough to keep…
Marin’s housing shortage continues to inflict severe hardships on families and local workers struggling to maintain their access to schools, jobs, and other important resources. Behind statistics describing the long-standing housing crisis for Bay Area renters are their stories about painful damage inflicted by our regional shortage of affordable housing: Despite some signs the rental market…
Marin’s history of environmental protection is our defining pride. Yet our development practices are fundamentally anti-environmental. Our history of environmental protection is Marin County’s defining pride. Outside narrow strips along Highways 1 and 101, rolling green hills rise and fall, mostly undisturbed by development, before meeting the brooding beauty of miles of untouched coastline. Compare this image with…
Community Land TrustsTaking the cost of land out of the cost of housing, by Tom McCafferty, MEHC board member; Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM) Project Manager Marin can ensure long-term affordability and enhance communities by utilizing the Community Land Trust model. In an era of escalating home prices and stagnant wages, finding affordable housing…
RHNA Tracking and Housing Element ImplementationJurisdictions will need significant resources to meet commitments Marin’s 6th Housing Element Cycle officially kicked off Jan 31, 2024. Although several Marin cities and towns are still finalizing their housing elements, all jurisdictions must still take action to meet their state housing goals (RHNA, the Regional Housing Needs Allocation). Every April, each jurisdiction…
HOUSING AND TRAFFIC: Growth restrictions have displaced workers by Warren Wells We’ve all heard that California, and Marin in particular, are facing a severe housing crisis. Home values and apartment rents keep rising, leading owners to cash out and renters to be pushed out. We’ve heard from politicians that we need to build more to keep…
What’s happening in Marin? A review of active, inactive, and completed housing projects. Every day, it seems there is another headline about a housing project. It might feel like we are experiencing a building boom here. But while we are considering some of the largest projects to be built in decades, such as the Northgate Town Center project…
A short primer on affordable housing, BAHFA and BAHA, and potentially game-changing funding! Marinites overwhelmingly want more affordable housing.According to the Marin County 2023 Community Survey, it is the #1 issue that Marinites would like our local governments to address. But how can we build more affordable housing? And what does this have to do with the…
Happy New Year, fellow housing nerds and policy wonks!There is a lot to catch up on! The 2023 California legislative season ended in October with record-setting housing activity, November was for equal parts pats-on-the-back and wound-licking, and December was the time to rest and get ready to start the maddening but addictingly fun process all over…