HOUSING AND DRIVING: 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…
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…
There have always been portions of the population unable to afford market rate housing. At one time, the government directly financed, owned and managed housing projects for these populations, commonly referred to as public housing. While the government still manages some housing projects it often doesn’t do a good job at this – just look…
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…
Another important date in the housing element process is just around the corner. Jurisdictions that did not have their housing elements certified by May 31, 2023 must have all housing element rezonings completed by January 31st, 2024. Only Sausalito was certified by May 31, 2023, so they will have until January 2026 to complete their…
Marin County has had the lowest rate of housing production in the Bay Area for over 50 years. Exclusionary zoning rules and creation of open space have slowed production, but arguably, lawsuits have been an even larger factor. Marin famously kicked off the conservation movement and the use of lawsuits to block development in the…
Every local government in the San Francisco Bay Area was required by law to update their Housing Element by January 31, 2023. The Housing Element requires each jurisdiction to plan for a state-determined number of housing units (called the Regional Housing Needs Allocation or the RHNA). HCD, a state level agency, must certify that the…
In June this year (2023) San Rafael resubmitted their Housing Element to HCD following requests from the state to make some revisions. Read more and track the Housing Element here.
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…