On January 29th, Call Marin Home gathered more than 60 community leaders to discuss housing and the priorities of a new and exciting coalition to support the 3 Ps of housing —  Production, Preservation and Protection, our guiding lights moving forward.

All of the coalition members agreed that the ‘“3 P” approach is needed to address the severe housing crisis in Marin. Our members are leading community members and organizations that help shape Marin, including tenant organizers, developers, land trusts, social services organizations, education organizations, and the business community. Our goal is to convene all those who have a stake in our housing system, including those often left behind. If you would like to be a part of Call Marin Home, please let us know! You can learn more about the coalition and its current members here.

Discussing priorities

Our inaugural meeting lasted several hours, but folks remarked how quickly it went by! Crazy what happens when you’re having fun (or, in this case, building energy and momentum). A big thank you to College of Marin for hosting us in its brand new Center for Student Success building.

Executive Director Jenny Silva opened with an overview of the current status of Marin’s housing crisis. Despite our current efforts, Marin has the highest rate of resident displacement and the slowest rate of housing development in the Bay Area. While these are somber facts, the information presented motivated attendees (view slides here>>); what followed was a discussion of the progress we are now making and what we can do as a coalition to speed progress. Our facilitator, Heather Wooten, then rallied everyone to: What should Call Marin Home’s priorities be over its first 18 months? What followed were eight separate discussions varying across all 3 Ps.

It is clear from these conversations (and a dot exercise that followed afterwards, giving organizations the opportunity to rank what they would support) that there is solid consensus among a handful of the potential areas we should address first.

• Public education and storytelling, and local funding sources emerged as clear top priorities with the strongest and most consistent support across groups. All groups felt strongly about the need for an outreach strategy to educate the public on varying housing issues. As for local funding, several ideas were discussed. One time-specific goal related to this priority was echoed throughout the group: a target for a 2028 funding campaign.
• Tenant protections and rental registry showed significant support, though rental registry had more mixed reactions (higher proportion of yellow dots suggesting some uncertainty or need for more discussion).
• Streamlining project approvals received solid support with relatively few concerns.
• Nearly all groups emphasized the foundational importance of education and narrative-building as enabling any other policy goals.

This is just the start – we will continue these conversations to create our path forward. The Call Marin Team pulled together information on these four areas, and Launch Meetings are scheduled to get input from Coalition members on key steps and milestones.

Building momentum and forming relationships

This meeting also gave everyone a chance to meet their partners in the new Call Marin Home coalition. This is a unique new Marin opportunity, where tenant protection advocates can engage in meaningful conversations with property owners  and developers, with smiles all around. It will be a big push, but the excitement in the room was palpable as Call Marin Home assumes its role as  the hub for all things housing in Marin.

Launch Meetings are now set

All coalition members are invited to participate in launch meetings . If your organization is not yet a member and you are interested in learning more, email us at info@callmarinhome.org.

Local Funding – March 10, 4:00 – 5:00
Further Streamlining  – March 13, 2:00 – 3:00
Education/Outreach – March 25, 4:00 – 5:00
Tenant Protections/Rental Registry – March 30, 4:00 – 5:00

We are a broad and strong coalition

Call Marin Home is a collaborative partnership of leading Marin County organizations working to create systemic change that expands access to affordable, workforce, and accessible housing in order to ensure that everyone in Marin has a place to call home. The coalition continues to grow. Interested in joining? Email Jenny.

Our donors and sponsors make our work possible. Donate now

Your advocacy and support have helped us do more, reach a broader audience, and get results. Every contribution, big or small, makes a meaningful difference and helps us continue and expand our mission. You can donate here. Thank you to our funders, donors, and community partners for supporting our work. Call Marin Home is a 501(c)3 86-2659273 charity

Call Marin Home’s Perspective newsletter is a mostly-monthly deep dive on a topic of importance to those who advocate for or need affordable housing in Marin.

Contact us for more information, or sign up to subscribe to Perspective, our weekly Coming Up in Housing newsletter, and our Action Alerts. Subscribe