Marin Voice: Marin must question candidates on housing
By Larry Kennings
Despite the histrionics of the presidential campaigns, it is critical that Marin voters focus on our state, county and local elections this primary season.
In addition to any other issues important to you, the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative urges you to consider local candidates’ positions on housing and environment as you mark your June 7 ballot.
Rich, poor and in the middle, we all are negatively impacted by Marin’s long history of restrictive, gated-community-style zoning policies.
Seniors are being evicted, or struggle to find affordable in-home support services because potential caregivers cannot afford to live here.
Parents and children are affected by teacher turnover and recruitment challenges because teachers cannot afford to live here.
Local business owners find it hard to hire and retain employees because they cannot afford either to live here — or to commute here.
Marin is less diverse by far than the rest of the Bay Area; we are the shameful poster child for income inequality. There’s no place the average working person can afford to live.
We’re hurting ourselves, too.
Our kids can’t afford to settle here and our policies threaten, rather than enhance, our magnificent environment, with traffic and pollution.
We have no one to blame but ourselves. We have pushed our local officials into a corner.
Candidates for office are often forced to take blanket anti-housing positions to get elected or re-elected, when what we really need are leaders with vision and backbone to find and support solutions.
We need leaders who will put a stake in the ground and support environmentally-sound, appropriately-sized and properly-located housing for our seniors and workforce.
While single-family detached homes may be appropriate for those who can afford them, the reality is that by limiting the use of Marin’s land to that type of housing, we make matters worse.
Single-family homes are simply unaffordable to most seniors, caregivers, clerks, teachers, public servants and employees who serve us and our commerce.
Opposition to virtually all new housing proposals, including moderately-sized multi-family homes, hasn’t erased Marin’s exploding need for workers. They just have to commute to here and around here, and we all suffer the consequences.
We are not urging high-rise apartments. Our website, www.marinmehc.org, displays attractive low-rise, multi-family affordable homes that fit our communities, and are virtually indistinguishable from nearby market-rate homes.
Advertisement
Marin needs leaders who recognize that adequate affordable housing supply cannot be achieved on a single-family-only basis.
While we support junior second units, the reality is that JSUs cannot possibly satisfy our profound affordable housing deficit. Marin voters must seriously question candidates claiming second units are the holy grail for our housing needs.
Our elected representatives do us a grave disservice when they give too much weight to the loud and passionate few who oppose new multi-family homes that might be built in or near their own neighborhoods.
Marin needs leaders who can help us understand that affordable housing developers are not in it for the money. Generally, they are nonprofits dedicated to community benefit. They should be considered our partners, not our enemies.
Marin needs elected officials who can lead the way to affordable housing solutions for needed workers without sacrificing our lifestyles or the beauty of the county we love.
If we elect representatives with vision and fortitude, we can get there. But we have to ask the hard questions — and we have to vote — on June 7 or by mail.
Larry Kennings is a board member of the Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative.