Policy
MEHC uses the 3 Ps of affordable housing framework to guide its policy advocacy: production of new housing, preservation of existing affordable housing and tenant protections. We advocate for policy change on both the local and state level. We also track issues frequently raise in relationship with housing, such as traffic, single stair buildings, and water.
Affordable Housing Funding
The Bay Area Housing Finance Authority voted on August 14th to remove the $20 billion affordable housing bond measure from the 2024 ballot. This funding would have helped fill the affordable housing funding gap. MEHC is a part of the Housing for All Marin Coaliton that supported the measure. MEHC and its partners will continue advocating for more funding for affordable housing.
Homelessness
The cost of housing is the primary cause of homelessness, not addiction or mental illness. We cannot solve homelessness without addressing our housing crisis.
Housing Elements
The Housing Element is a state mandated component of local governments’ general plans. It must be updated every 8 years. We are currently in the 6th housing element cycle, which began January 31, 2023. MEHC is tracking progress towards housing elements. Currently, Belvedere does not have a certified Housing Element and Sausalito has submitted yet another revised Housing Element.
Lawsuits
Policy encompasses more than new laws and ordinances passed by the state and local towns. Housing is often a contentious issue, and the courts are frequently asked, via lawsuits, to provide opinions on how the rules work. Housing opponents have long made use of the courts to stop housing from being built. More recently, housing advocates have started using the courts to ensure that housing laws are enforced.
Preservation
One of the 3 Ps of affordable housing is preservation. This includes the preservation of already existing affordable units, new affordable units via deed restrictions, public housing, land trusts, and the preservation of tenant protections.
State Legislation
California has not built sufficient housing for its population for decades. It’s a fundamental reason our housing prices are so high and homelessness is so problematic. There are new housing laws that get proposed and passed in California that then are implemented in Marin County.
Tenant Protections
Displacement is an urgent issue in Marin County. Every day, members of our workforce are being forced to leave the County and commute into work. In addition to the huge disruption these forced moves cause, these former residents add, on average, 32 miles to their commutes, increasing traffic and emissions. Marin County and Community Action Marin are collaborating on Rooted in Marin, a commmunity-centered project to engage and educate on displacement in Marin.
West Marin
West Marin in faces a unique set of obstacles in addressing its housing needs. The West Marin Housing Solutions Report estimates that West Marin requires 1,000 affordable homes – much more than the 481 sites planned for in County Housing Element.