Top 14 Facts about the Housing Crisis
We face a colossal housing crisis in Marin.
1. Marin isn’t building enough homes: From 2000 to 2015, Marin County built around 346 homes for every 1,000 people the county added. This means we have the lowest housing production rate in the greater Bay Area.
2. Rents keep rising: Since 2010, rents have increased by about 50% in Marin. As a result, almost 40% of our households do not earn enough to make ends meet.
3. Our housing costs are shockingly high: The median Marin home costs $1.7 million—a price only affordable to the top 1%.
Our entire community depends on affordable housing.
4. Our middle class depends on it: A Marin household of four in 2023 earning less than $148,650 a year is considered low-income and qualifies for most affordable housing.
5. Our pursuit of racial equality depends on it: Marin was found to be the single most segregated county in California in 2022, and we’ve only gotten more segregated since.
6. Our economy depends on it: A 2011 study by the Marin Economic Forum found that our inability to house our workforce caused a $1.4 billion loss in potential revenue to local businesses.
7. Our quality schools depend on it: Nearly 43% of Marin school staffers cannot afford to rent a studio apartment in the county.
8. Our efforts to reduce traffic depend on it: Approximately 68,000 workers commute into Marin County from other counties (about 70% of the entire workforce), and our number of “super-commuters”—those who drive over 1.5 hours for work—increased by 71% between 2009 and 2017.
9. Our environment depends on it: Due to our sprawling nature and lack of density, we’ve been clocked emitting 40% more greenhouse gasses per capita in a year than San Francisco!
10. Our aging population depends on it: By 2041, almost half our population will be above age 60, yet the affordable housing crisis will prevent us from hiring a sufficient workforce to sustain our quality healthcare for these residents.
11. Our safety and neighborhood character depends on it: Studies consistently show that affordable home developments decrease nearby crime rates and increase the desirability of neighborhoods.
12. Our tax dollars depend on it: Suburban sprawl costs the US over $1 trillion annually, as places like Marin are forced to spend exponentially more on basic construction components such as wiring, lumber, pavement, and heating than we would with denser development.
13. Our wallets depend on it: To compensate for high rent prices and a limited workforce, everything in Marin is more expensive. United Way estimates we each pay $14,000 more annually for our non-housing basics because of our affordable housing crisis.
Proposition 5 on the November Ballot is a game-changer.
14. Proposition 5 would make it easier to fund the creation of new affordable homes: By allowing bonds to be approved with a 55% vote, Prop 5 gives more representation to residents who support building and preserving affordable housing.
