AP-50 Geographic Distribution – 91.220(f)

Description of the geographic areas of the entitlement (including areas of low-income and minority concentration) where assistance will be directed

Marin County has two areas of low-income and minority concentration: 1) the Canal Neighborhood of San Rafael, and 2) the Marin City community of unincorporated Marin County. While the County makes an intentional effort to support Capital and Public Services projects in these areas, it does not designate a specific funding amount for these communities. In addition, the County is prohibited from investing federal housing dollars in these communities as part of its Voluntary Compliance Agreement with HUD.

Federal funds are distributed in three planning areas:

1. Novato Planning Area (includes Novato, Ignacio, Bel Marin Keys, and Black Point).
2. San Rafael Planning Area (includes San Rafael, the Canal, Los Ranchitos, Lucas Valley, Marinwood, and Santa Venetia).
3. County Other Planning Area (includes Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Greenbrae, Kentfield, Larkspur, Marin City, Mill Valley, Ross, San Anselmo, San Quentin, Sausalito, Strawberry, Tam Valley, Tiburon, Waldo Point, and West Marin, encompassing the inland rural and coastal corridors).

Geographic Distribution -

Target Area	Percentage of Funds
Communities of Minority Concentration	16%
Countywide, Areas with High-Need Populations	31%
Countywide, Areas of Opportunity	53%

   Table 10 - Geographic Distribution

 

Rationale for the priorities for allocating investments geographically

The County contains two cities with populations exceeding 50,000 that have opted to be included in the CDBG Urban County rather than receive funding directly from HUD as separate entitlement communities. Funds are distributed as described in the "Discussion" section below and according to established HUD procedures.

Discussion

Planning areas make recommendations for distribution of funds to the Priority Setting Committee and subsequently the Board of Supervisors for approval. Distribution is consistent with HUD guidelines and evaluation criteria developed by participating cities and the County to ensure consistency among the planning areas and facilitate implementation of countywide goals.

After deduction of administrative expenses, planning areas make recommendations on the net CDBG Urban County allocation, which is sub-allocated to the planning areas according to the general HUD-established distribution formula. The formula is based on the latest available countywide data on population, extent of poverty, and extent of housing overcrowding, with the provision that extent of poverty be counted twice. However, a different distribution formula is hereby expressly authorized if and when necessary to comply with Title I of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended.

AP-55 Affordable Housing – 91.220(g)

Introduction

Marin County offers varied and attractive residential environments due to its unique combination of natural beauty and proximity to San Francisco. In addition, historically zoning is primarily single unit homes. Many of today’s housing problems such as low vacancy rates, escalating housing prices and rents, and the overall demand for housing and pressure for growth are a result of the attractive qualities and constraints on new development.

The County of Marin will continue to place the highest priority on meeting the housing needs of extremely low and very low-income individuals and families, including families with children, other members of the protected classes, persons experiencing and at risk of homelessness, and individuals with special needs, including elderly and disabled households throughout the county. 

To meet our affordable housing goals, Marin County will evaluate opportunities for production through both new construction and acquisition of existing market rate homes to preserve them as affordable. In addition, the County will prioritize protection of existing renters. With whatever resources are available, Marin County will continue to leverage federal, state, and local funds to support the acquisition, rehabilitation, preservation, and new construction of all types of housing and to offer rental assistance to lower income households.

Marin County and all of its jurisdictions are in the process of finalizing their 2023-2031 Housing Elements, a mandatory element of the General Plan and Countywide Plan. The State of California requires the County to show how it will meet the total Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) for 14,405 units in all jurisdictions and unincorporated County. Of those 14,405 units, there is a requirement of 6,571 for very low and low-income units. The very low and low-income unit requirement for unincorporated Marin County is 1,734 units.

The number of households served by affordable housing projects depends highly on the amount of available funding from the federal and state governments, the availability of suitably zoned sites, and the initiative taken by community-based nonprofits.

Timing requirements and federal funding usage restrictions can act as barriers to creating new units in an already tight real estate market. This is partly due to the extended process that many projects must undergo to acquire entitlements. In addition, limited vacant land and community opposition to multi-unit family housing pose constraints on creating new units. The demanding nature of developing new housing in Marin County makes it difficult to predict construction timelines. For this reason, County staff prioritizes projects that are ready to move forward. County staff will remain committed to the acquisition and construction of new development, but anticipate greater progress in the rehabilitation and acquisition of existing units due to the nature of federal funding and timely spending requirements.

One Year Goals for the Number of Households to be Supported
Homeless	0
Non-Homeless	237
Special Needs	50
Total	287

  Table 11 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Requirement

 

One Year Goals for the Number of Households Supported Through
Rental Assistance	0
Production of New Units	205
Rehab of Existing Units	82
Acquisition of Existing Units	0
Total	272

  Table 12 - One Year Goals for Affordable Housing by Support Type

 

Discussion

The County’s approach to funding affordable housing projects is informed by the 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, 2020-24 Consolidated plan, and changes identified and implemented in partnership with HUD during two Voluntary Compliance Agreements (VCA). The first VCA ran from November 30, 2010 to December 22, 2015. The second VCA which started on May 7, 2019 was successfully closed on November 8, 2022. Among the strategies engaged, encouraging and facilitating the creation of multi-bedroom units available to families in areas of concentrated affluence and areas of opportunity, is consistently elevated as a priority across all guiding documents. In addition, the County is now investing in rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units in areas of minority concentration and areas with high-needs populations. All housing providers are required to develop and implement Affirmative Marketing Plans.

 

 

AP-60 Public Housing – 91.220(h)

Introduction

The Marin Housing Authority’s (MHA) public housing program continues to operate at appropriation levels that are too low for the long-term sustainability of the properties. Over the last few years, MHA has significantly reduced its administrative costs and continues to implement less cumbersome policies and procedures and more efficient systems, including a resident and applicant portal to safely submit and process paperwork online. The Marin Housing Authority currently serves approximately 850 household members within nearly 500 units of public housing.

Actions planned during the next year to address the public housing needs

The Capital Fund Program (CFP) has generally been the only federal funding source for public housing agencies to replace obsolete building systems (heating, electrical, plumbing, ventilation, etc.); make major repairs to elevators, roofs, exteriors, bathrooms, and kitchens; abate hazardous materials; add accessibility modifications; make site improvements; and provide energy upgrades, security, resident services, operating subsidy, and management improvements. Federal CFP funding has declined dramatically and is inadequate to cover replacement costs for the aging public housing stock.

Golden Gate Village (GGV), MHA’s only public family housing complex, has significant capital improvement needs. HUD has emphasized that a revitalization plan for GGV must be expeditiously prepared and thoroughly analyzed to ensure it is in the best interest of the residents, and MHA concurs. After years of considering an extensive redevelopment of GGV, including many discussions with the GGV Resident Council and HUD, the MHA Board of Commissioners decided to pursue a rehabilitation-only option for GGV in March 2022.

The rehabilitation-only option that MHA proposed to HUD must meet the following goals (referred to as “HUD Feasibility Criteria”):

1. Solve over-housing in a timely manner.
2. Recognize historic preservation criteria.
3. Recapitalize GGV and be financially feasible.
4. Address the $63 million in capital needs identified in the Physical Needs Assessment completed in 2021.

Over the next several months, MHA will work closely with the GGV Resident Council and a Revitalization Working Group through a community process to discuss and analyze how a rehabilitation-only option can meet the above HUD Feasibility Criteria. The goal is to develop consensus on a feasible rehabilitation-only option for GGV and present it to the MHA Board of Commissioners by the end of 2022. 

 

Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and participate in homeownership

The primary goal of the Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Service Coordinator is to help residents improve their living conditions, enabling them to age-in-place, and avoid placement in a full-care facility to the greatest extent possible. Multi-year HUD funding provides service coordination to 200 elderly and disabled residents in the five MHA complexes designated for this population. MHA was recently awarded a renewal grant by HUD to continue the ROSS program for the next three years.

The Family Self-Sufficiency Program (FSS) assists 100 families in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program and 30 to 40 families in Marin City Public Housing. Most participants are single parents and are provided case management and referrals toward individually crafted educational or employment goals. With special HUD grants, the Marin Housing Authority has maintained the Family Self-Sufficiency Program in both the Section 8 Voucher Program as well as in Marin City family public housing. This program is directed toward improving families’ economic situations by ultimately increasing their earned income.

On March 16, 2022, the MHA Board approved a homeownership preference for Golden Gate Village public housing residents under the HCV program and expanded use of the Marin City Down Payment Assistance Program approved by the Board to support homeownership among public housing residents. Since then, five Golden Gate Village households have received vouchers through this preference, and four of those households have utilized their vouchers. There are an additional two GGV households currently on the HCV waiting list to receive vouchers through the homeownership preference.

Section 3 Resident Training allows the Marin Housing Authority to periodically provide short-term training opportunities to public housing residents in maintenance, landscaping, property management, and administrative support work. Residents work in paid training positions under the supervision of community-based training organizations. These projects typically last four to eight weeks and are designed to provide basic skills that trainees can take to more permanent jobs in maintenance, construction, landscaping, property management, or office support. MHA will be selecting a Section 3 contractor to build capacity and assist Golden Gate Village residents in developing resident-owned businesses and increase job training opportunities. This vendor will partner with employers and funders to increase access and training.

In addition, MHA continues to participate in Resident Advisory Board (RAB) meetings on a regular basis. The RAB is made up of residents from Public Housing and representatives holding Housing Choice Vouchers. 

If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be provided or other assistance.

On May 14, 2021, HUD issued MHA a directive to submit a corrective action plan for Golden Gate Village to address failing physical assessment scores and the ongoing planning process for a comprehensive redevelopment of the site. Historically, MHA has scored highly on the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS) in the financial, management, and Capital Fund areas, and achieved an overall PHAS score of “Standard” or “High Performer.” However, for many years, Golden Gate Village has been issued failing or near-failing physical scores. As a result, in March 2022 the MHA Board of Commissioners decided to pivot from the previously pursued redevelopment plan to a rehabilitation-only option for GGV.

Discussion

In addition to public housing-related programs, Marin Housing Authority offers supportive housing programs to holders of its approximately 2,600 vouchers. These include:

1. The Shelter Plus Care Program, which combines housing subsidy from HUD McKinney Vento Funds with case management services funded by Marin County Mental Health and Substance Use Services (MHSUS). Program eligibility includes individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness and who have a severe and persistent mental illness. The Shelter Plus Care Program serves at least 90 households. MHA has set aside 50 vouchers for the most medically vulnerable people experiencing chronic homelessness, and these participants will also be provided with wrap-around supportive services.
2. The Emergency Housing Voucher Program provides vouchers and case management services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
3. Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) provides housing vouchers and supportive services to veterans experiencing chronic homelessness.
4. Mainstream vouchers and case management services are provided for non-elderly individuals and families experiencing disabilities and homelessness.
5. The HOPWA Program combines housing subsidy from HUD and case management services from local community-based organizations, with which MHA has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding for service provision. Individuals and families must have an HIV/AIDS diagnosis confirmed by an appropriate third party and meet income eligibility guidelines. HOPWA is expected to serve 13 households in 2022-23.
6. The Below Market Rate (BMR) Homeownership Program manages a portfolio of over 332 homes for low- and moderate-income first-time homebuyers. MHA assigns a priority preference to families living or working in Marin City for all re-sell units available in Marin City. MHA offers First-Time Homebuyer Education Workshops in both English and Spanish in collaboration with Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California. MHA staff also collaborates with the Marin City Community Development Corporation to prepare Marin City residents for homeownership opportunities by addressing credit issues, down payments, and savings. In terms of marketing, MHA continues to collaborate with Habitat for Humanity, Hello Housing, and Marin City Community Development Corporation to publicize opportunities for first-time homebuyers through BMR and Section 8 programs.

During the COVID-19 public emergency, MHA has continued to provide essential services to residents and housing program participants. MHA was awarded 117 emergency housing vouchers and a total of 177 mainstream vouchers. As a result of strong partnerships with the County of Marin and community-based organizations to provide case management services and deploy MHA’s Housing Locator program, MHA has utilized the vast majority of the EHV and additional mainstream vouchers issued by HUD in response to the pandemic.

AP-65 Homeless and Other Special Needs Activities – 91.220(i)

Introduction

Section AP-35 shows the proposed CDBG and HOME activities to be undertaken serving the homeless and special needs populations. In the list of proposed CDBG and HOME projects, activities serving homeless and special needs populations are so noted.

Describe the jurisdiction’s one-year goals and actions for reducing and ending homelessness, including:

Reaching out to homeless persons (especially unsheltered persons) and assessing their individual needs

County HHS has staff dedicated to ending chronic homelessness and coordinating and improving services for people experiencing homelessness. They run the 473-INFO resource hotline to refer older adults and those with disabilities to resources, and they also staff the Homeless Policy Steering Committee, which is the Continuum of Care organization for the County. Partnering with community-based organizations, Marin County oversees a Coordinated Entry system with a standardized assessment to prioritize the highest-need, most vulnerable individuals and families for supportive housing. Additional efforts include:

• Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division placed a mental health clinician in the field to conduct eligibility and intake assessments for mental health services.

• County hired a Senior Outreach Coordinator to coordinate countywide homeless outreach activities to eliminate gaps and overlapping efforts.

• All key homeless services providers participate in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which helps identify unsheltered persons.
• Dedicated encampment/street outreach activities (conducted by Mental Health Transition Teams, CARE Teams, Marin Interfaith Street Chaplaincy, and a San Rafael Police Department Mental Health Outreach Worker) identify and engage unsheltered individuals daily and participate in planning meetings to ensure countywide coverage.
• With CoC, County used ESG-CV funds to create two outreach teams to improve coverage, including boat rental to reach Marin’s unique “anchor-out” population moored offshore in Richardson Bay.
• County’s primary Emergency Shelter for single adults has transitioned to housing-focused shelter, reducing barriers and adding case management to increase placements and shorten length-of-time homeless.
• Case management provided by Whole Person Care Medicaid waiver program allows data-sharing and coordination between housing, health care, and homeless services organizations. The program pairs case management with Housing Choice Vouchers to create up to 50 additional Permanent Supportive Housing beds each year.
• County’s COVID Emergency Operations Center used FEMA and CARES funds to run a Project Roomkey emergency shelter at several local motels, keeping COVID-vulnerable people out of congregate settings. Roomkey motels collaborate with Coordinated Entry to identify those most vulnerable.
• County CDA, HHS, and DPW collaborated to use state Project Homekey funding to purchase three properties to create 105 new units of permanent supportive housing.

The County’s goals over the next year are:

• Increase housing-based case management through the Whole Person Care Medicaid waiver program to create additional Permanent Supportive Housing beds with Section 8/811 and Emergency Housing vouchers.
• Add partners to the Whole Person Care program to create more robust data-sharing and improve coordination.
• Apply for new project funding through various state and federal streams.
• Evaluate and improve our housing-focused Emergency Shelter system.
• Increase and improve diversion resources to reduce first-time homelessness.
• Continue to add Coordinated Entry points to ensure minimal barriers to housing.
• Expand outreach to underserved areas and improve coordination with alternative outreach partners including police, parks, and public works.
• Continue evaluating the homeless system of care’s impact on racial equity and implementing improvement strategies.

Addressing the emergency shelter and transitional housing needs of people experiencing homelessness

Efforts to establish and provide emergency shelter and transitional housing increased considerably during COVID-19 through the County’s participation in the State-sponsored Roomkey and Homekey programs. All transitional housing and emergency shelters in Marin participate in HMIS. The Continuum of Care regularly analyzes HMIS data to develop strategies for improving utilization of transitional housing and shelter by those most in need, identify services and programs that will help households achieve housing stability and self-sufficiency, and determine gaps in inventory and capacity. Existing emergency shelters have transitioned to a housing focus to further improve housing outcomes for clients. By focusing on permanent housing in every area of our homeless system, including emergency shelter, Marin seeks to end the cycle of chronic homelessness.

Helping persons experiencing homelessness (especially chronically homeless individuals and families, families with children, veterans and their families, and unaccompanied youth) make the transition to permanent housing and independent living, including shortening the period of time that they experience homelessness, facilitating their access to affordable housing units, and preventing recurring homelessness

Homeward Bound of Marin creates new permanent supportive housing beds for individuals and families experiencing homelessness each year, including the conversion of several transitional housing projects into permanent supportive housing. Their New Beginnings Center serves as a housing-focused emergency shelter for individuals, and they have placed 70% of their clients into permanent, non-supportive housing throughout the county. St. Vincent De Paul Society has master leased and purchased several properties to provide permanent supportive housing options for clients who are unable to rent directly from landlords due to past evictions, credit history, and presentation. The Marin Housing Authority and Marin County HHS have teamed up to pair Section 8, Section 811, and Emergency Housing vouchers with housing-based case management to increase the available permanent supportive housing in Marin. HHS also directly funds 54 units of permanent supportive housing with local providers, as well as providing the services and matching funds for much of the federally funded homeless housing. Marin currently has 649 units of permanent supportive housing, up from 336 in 2016.

HHS uses County general funds, CalWORKs Housing Support Program funds, and federal Emergency Solutions Grants to provide Rapid Rehousing for clients who do not need the ongoing services of permanent supportive housing. In addition, the Marin Housing Authority provides Moving On vouchers: Section 8 vouchers for clients who are in Permanent Supportive Housing and still need the rental subsidy but no longer need the services. This frees up additional Permanent Supportive Housing beds.

HHS and its nonprofit partners have recently implemented rapid rehousing for coordinated entry, which will streamline referrals, improve targeting of resources, and enhance communication and coordination between providers.

HHS has placed a Rapid Rehousing program in a Project Roomkey emergency COVID shelter to assist clients with transitioning into permanent housing when the program ends, preventing exits to the street.

HHS also coordinates stakeholders and identifies opportunities to increase long-term permanent housing stability. Long-term strategies include:

• Increasing access to mainstream services to better stabilize clients in the long-term. Services include outreach, SSI advocacy, and on-site benefits enrollment. HHS uses national best practices to expedite SSI/SSDI enrollment for people with disabilities who are experiencing homelessness.

• Expanding integrated interagency service teams providing housing-linked wraparound services.
• Integrating mental health and substance abuse programs to form a behavioral health team, which serves as a cross-sector initiative to increase access to integrated services in community clinics.
• Mental health transition teams providing support to people experiencing mental health crises to prevent mental health-related housing loss.
• Evaluating annual agency performance to deliver targeted technical assistance.
• Enhancing data-sharing between all health, behavioral health, and homeless services to improve care and decrease duplication of services.

The County has invested in the Housing Authority’s ability to attract and retain landlords willing to accept vouchers through the Landlord Partnership Program, including funding a Housing Locator position, providing funding for deposits, and creating a risk pool to pay for any damages to units.

Helping low-income individuals and families avoid becoming homeless, especially extremely low-income individuals and families and those who are: being discharged from publicly funded institutions and systems of care (such as health care facilities, mental health facilities, foster care and other youth facilities, and corrections programs and institutions); or, receiving assistance from public or private agencies that address housing, health, social services, employment, education, or youth needs.

Regarding preventing households from becoming homeless, Marin County Health and Human Services staff assists in the coordination of efforts of several key prevention providers, including Adopt a Family, Canal Alliance, Community Action Marin, Legal Aid of Marin, North Marin Community Services, Ritter Center, St. Vincent De Paul Society, and the West Marin Resource Center. In the Ten-Year Plan update process, the Homeless Policy Steering Committee (HPSC) identified prevention as a key priority. Prevention action steps include enhancing the capacity of phone services to assess and link callers to prevention services and expanding outreach to landlords to make them aware of prevention services. County HHS also invested state Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funding into a diversion program to move people who are newly homeless back into housing before entering the homeless system of care.

Additionally, County HHS funds a medical respite program for people being discharged from any of the three local hospitals. HHS’s Children and Family Services Division supports foster youth to ensure that they are not discharged into homelessness. Furthermore, HHS employs a staff person to coordinate between the local mental health facility and our County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS). HHS’s Residential Services Unit also works closely with Institutes for Mental Disease (IMD) to support people during the transition to a lower level of care. To support this effort, people are stepped down from IMDs into local residential supportive units with increasing levels of independence to ensure that people have support adequate to keep them stable and housed. HHS also operates a Transition Team through BHRS, which identifies people who are held in our local Crisis Stabilization Unit to connect them with ongoing supports.

Further, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the Housing and Federal Grants staff, in collaboration with Health and Human Service, Emergency Operations Center, and nonprofit partners, has developed a rental assistance program to disburse $33.5 million in funds to support renters who have lost income due to the pandemic.

Discussion

Marin County providers and government partners are working to implement best practices across the entire homeless system of care to reduce and end homelessness in our community. These include Coordinated Entry to prioritize the highest-needs clients for permanent supportive housing; diversion to help clients find housing options outside the system of care; specialized approaches for subpopulations including veterans, youth, and families; Housing First; and lowering case management staff to client ratios in permanent supportive housing to improve outcomes for the hardest to serve.

AP-75 Barriers to affordable housing – 91.220(j)

Introduction:

According to the County’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice submitted to HUD, the following are barriers to affordable housing:

 

Community Opposition to Affordable Housing

Community opposition has been identified as the number one reason for the lack of affordable housing development in the County, particularly for families and in areas outside of minority concentration. Opposition to new housing developments can arise in all of the County’s neighborhoods, but is especially prevalent in majority White neighborhoods. The opposition is often based on common growth issues such as traffic congestion, water demand versus supply, and increased school enrollment. However, opposition can also reflect underlying fears of reduced property values, misperceptions of the type of housing that would be created, and stereotyped impressions of the potential occupants.

 

A greater understanding of affordable rental housing and its positive impact on individuals, families, and the community at large is instrumental to gaining support. The more informed the public, local government staff, and elected officials are about the need for affordable rental housing and benefits of avoiding housing insecurity, the more leverage supporters will have to advance development of affordable rental homes.

The Cost of Developing Affordable Housing

The cost of developing affordable housing in Marin is prohibitive even after accounting for grant and loan funding, direct and indirect subsidies, tax credits, and private donors. Many Marin communities require that developers of multi-unit housing set aside a percentage of units as affordable housing, and the County’s Housing Trust Fund provides financial assistance to help affordable housing developers create and preserve housing for low and very low-income households. Some cities and towns do not have inclusionary policies or affordable housing impact fees, and for some jurisdictions, the housing trust account balances are too low to be useful. In addition, in-lieu fees do not reflect the actual costs of building affordable housing in the County.

 

Lack of Affordable Housing Sites

Developers and community members are unaware of potential affordable housing sites across the County. Because of this, opportunities to purchase land or properties for non-affordable housing may reduce the availability for affordable developments. 

 

Lack of Opportunities for Home Ownership by People of Color and Ongoing Concerns of Gentrification

Housing prices in Marin are unaffordable for most residents, but because of historic, discriminatory practices and government policies, African Americans – in particular, people who lived in Marin City during the “Marinship” years of the 1940s – have been particularly affected by policies that have created segregated communities with limited access to opportunities. 

 

In addition, gentrification of some Marin communities is forcing people of color and low-income residents to be priced out of their own neighborhoods. Designating land for developing affordable housing that will remain affordable in perpetuity will create home ownership opportunities while affirmatively furthering fair housing. Transforming racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity can preserve existing affordable housing and protect current residents from displacement.

 

Actions planned to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing such as land use controls, tax policies affecting land, zoning ordinances, building codes, fees and charges, growth limitations, and policies affecting the return on residential investment

The County’s 2020 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice proposes the following actions to remove or ameliorate the negative effects of public policies that serve as barriers to affordable housing:

• Community Opposition to Affordable Housing
• The Cost of Developing Affordable Housing
• Lack of Affordable Housing Sites
• Lack of Opportunities for Home Ownership by People of Color and On-going Concerns of Gentrification

A detailed list can be found uploaded with the Grantee Unique Appendices.

In addition, the County is working with six other local jurisdictions to update and adopt inclusionary policies. Two of the six jurisdictions do not have inclusionary policies requiring that affordable units be included in market rate developments. These policies are slated for adoption by the end of 2022.

 

Discussion

The main constraints to new affordable housing include limited available land and high land costs, lack of funding, and community opposition. Two major factors contribute to high land costs, which significantly impact housing development and affordability: high demand and limited supply of land zoned for development. In Marin County as a whole, land costs average around 15% to 20% of construction costs for multi-family developments. Land zoned for multi-family and mixed-use developments generally costs more than land zoned for single-family residential. For example, recent sales in Marin show that the former averages over $2 million dollars per acre and total development costs exceed $650,000 per subsidized multi-unit development.

 

Construction loans for new housing are difficult to secure in the current market. In past years, lenders would provide up to 80% of the loan-to-value ratio of the new construction cost. However, due to market conditions and government regulations, banks now require larger investments from the builder. Affordable housing developments face additional constraints, although public funding is available, it is highly competitive and developments must meet multiple qualifying criteria, often including the prevailing wage requirement. For smaller developments, the higher per-unit costs result in a sale or rental price that is above the affordability limits set for many funding programs, and such projects often require significant time investments from developers. Because the overall budget is smaller and a developer’s operating income is based on a percentage of total costs, smaller projects are often infeasible without special incentives or significant local funding.

 

Affordable rental developments tend to be easier to finance than for-sale developments, as there are more funding sources. However, recent cuts in public spending statewide have put pressure on these sources. Few potential sites in the County qualify for tax credits, which are a valuable revenue source for affordable housing developers. The cost of construction has grown considerably due to extensive fires in the Bay Area region that have burned every year since 2017, COVID-related supply chain issues and labor shortages, and ongoing inflation. These combined with stagnant tax credit revenue, put developers of low-income properties at an even greater disadvantage. Community resistance to new development is also a factor. Marin County’s strained infrastructure leads to several concerns, primarily: 1) new developments may cause increased traffic, 2) long-term sustainability of the local water supply, 3) potential impacts on schools and other local infrastructure, and 4) valuable open space could be lost. Also, Issues related to community character are often raised, such as how density may adversely affect the visual cohesiveness of the neighborhood, how affordable housing may impact property values, or how it should be distributed more evenly countywide. At times, there is tension between fair housing laws and a desire to provide preferential affordable housing access for some populations, such as local workers (examples are nurses, teachers, and law enforcement personnel). In many cases, it is impossible to target housing to select groups. These concerns are often expressed during project review phases and can present significant political barriers.

 

Marin County aims to alleviate these housing barriers. New developments in Marin County are financially assisted with Housing Trust, CDBG, and HOME dollars to provide gap financing. In addition, the Housing Element process includes an exercise for members of the public to identify eligible development sites.

AP-85 Other Actions – 91.220(k)

Introduction:

Obstacles to meeting underserved needs for Marin County are tied to the extent of need in the County and its cities and towns, as well as the geographic topography of the County. Major obstacles include limited funds; extremely high housing, land, and development costs; and gaps in institutional structure.

Due to high costs, economic conditions, poverty and unemployment, and a high occurrence of low-wage service industry jobs, a significant number of low-income Marin County residents struggle to make ends meet. The available resources to support programs and services that help individuals and families become self-sufficient are inadequate. The situation is made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate effects on low-income persons of color. Marin’s unemployment rate is currently at 2.4%.

Actions planned to address obstacles to meeting underserved needs

To address obstacles to meeting underserved needs, the County proposes to fund activities directed at members of protected classes, including racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and families with children. For example, Community Development Block Grant assistance will be used to support public services for children of low-income minority families (such as youth development programs in Marin City and various childcare programs across the County). Conservation and expansion of the supply of subsidized family rental housing will be a major priority for the use of HUD funds.

Actions planned to foster and maintain affordable housing

To foster and maintain affordable housing, the County will use a large portion of its HUD funding for development, preservation, and rehabilitation of subsidized housing. The County will also seek to leverage other funding sources, including Federal, State, and local funds.

Actions planned to reduce lead-based paint hazards

To evaluate and reduce lead-based paint hazards, the County will require all recipients of HUD funding to comply with the requirements for lead paint testing and abatement. The Marin Housing Authority will also continue its program of lead paint testing and abatement for public housing.

The Marin County Department of Health and Human Services in partnership with the Community Development Agency’s Environmental Health Services operates the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP). This program is currently undergoing reorganization and outreach planning. COVID-19 greatly impacted CLPPP, with staff time taken up with serving as disaster service workers during the emergency response. CLPPP only addressed urgent matters during this time. Beginning in September 2021, a new CLPPP Coordinator/Public Health Nurse (PHN) and Environmental Health Specialist were hired. 

The new CLPPP coordinator has been working with the State Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch (CLPPB) and following up on recommended actions to strengthen the program. New policies and procedures have been written and the coordinator is planning future outreach with the guidance of CLPPB. In addition, the Marin CLPPP is working with State and local partners to collect data and use it to identify high-risk areas in hopes of targeting messaging and outreach to those at higher risk for lead exposure. Marin CLPPP is establishing its list of community outreach partners to create a broad network of resources for lead exposure prevention to Marin County children.

Actions planned to reduce the number of poverty-level families (Additional information being supplied by HHS)

As a provider of employment services to public assistance recipients, the Employment & Training Branch within Marin County Health and Human Services (HHS) is in the unique position to blend services that help low-income persons to obtain and retain employment. The Employment and Training Branch (ETB) houses the CalFresh Employment and Training and General Relief programs. The integration of these programs creates an efficient combination of employment services that provides job search readiness and vocational and on-the-job training for participants, with the ultimate goal of creating multiple pathways to self-sufficiency.

Employment services include:

• Workshops on resume building, interview skills, and career exploration.
• Self-directed use of the Marin's Career Resource Center (temporarily closed for construction).
• Individualized career services featuring one-on-one meetings with an Employment Development Counselor for self-assessments, developing an individual employment plan, and counseling.
• Vocational training services where participants are eligible for up to $4,500 for classroom training in a growth industry.
• “Earn and learn” training that places participants in an in-demand, sector-driven occupation that will enhance their prospects for long-term employment and maintain or increase their wage levels, with the overall goal of becoming self-sufficient. Through exposure in an actual work setting, participants acquire field-specific skills and employment competencies.
• Retention services are provided for three months after exiting a program with unsubsidized employment.

ETB works with several community organizations to provide vocational training and has a formal partnership with Homeward Bound of Marin’s Fresh Starts Culinary Academy. This program provides individuals with 10 weeks (250 hours) of job training, certification, and job placement support. The curriculum is certified by the American Culinary Federation and provides comprehensive culinary training with supportive services.

To reduce the number of poverty-level families, Marin County will continue its extensive employment training program and encourage nonprofit organizations to better coordinate their services toward serving families in distress. 

Actions planned to develop institutional structure

The Marin County Housing and Federal Grants Division staff participate on the Homeless Policy Steering Committee, Opening Doors Committee, Child Care Council, First 5 Initiative, Housing Funders Group, committee on housing for farm workers and their families, County Ag team, and Planning Directors Group.

Actions planned to enhance coordination between public and private housing and social service agencies

To foster public housing improvements and resident initiatives, the Marin Housing Authority will continue to seek funding for public housing improvements and provide public housing residents with technical assistance for their initiatives as funds permit. MHA continues to partner with affordable housing developers, thereby securing vouchers that ensure deep affordability of housing projects. The County partners with MHA, affordable housing developers, and local nonprofits to ensure ongoing supportive housing services. 

Discussion

The large number of nonprofit organizations serving low-income communities in Marin is both an asset and a challenge. The sheer number of nonprofits creates increased competition for limited resources. Conversely, the benefits of a rich variety of social service organizations often translates to more community-based and culturally competent services for low-income residents. Lack of organizational capacity among nonprofits is another gap in institutional structure. In response, the Marin Community Foundation engages with nonprofits in organizational and programmatic capacity-building to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services coordinates with agencies that serve homeless individuals and families.

 

AP-90 Program Specific Requirements – 91.220(l)(1,2,4)

Introduction:

This section addresses the program-specific requirements for the Annual Action Plan that are identified in the Consolidated Plan Final Rule.

 

Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG)

Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(1)

 

Projects planned with all CDBG funds expected to be available during the year are identified in the Projects Table. The following identifies available program income to be applied toward projects planned for 2022-23.

1. The total amount of program income that will have been received before the start of the next program year and that has not yet been reprogrammed	$64,290
2. The amount of proceeds from Section 108 loan guarantees that will be used during the year to address the priority needs and specific objectives identified in the grantee's strategic plan	0
3. The amount of surplus funds from urban renewal settlements	0
4. The amount of any grant funds returned to the line of credit for which the planned use has not been included in a prior statement or plan.	0
5. The amount of income from float-funded activities	0
Total Program Income	$64,290

 

 

Other CDBG Requirements

1. The amount of urgent need activities	0
The estimated percentage of CDBG funds that will be used for activities that benefit persons of low and moderate income (##.##)   Overall Benefit - A consecutive period of one, two, or three years may be used to determine that a minimum overall benefit of 70% of CDBG funds is used to benefit persons of low and moderate income. Specify the years covered that include this Annual Action Plan.	70.00

 

 

 

HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME)

Reference 24 CFR 91.220(l)(2)

 

1. A description of other forms of investment being used beyond those identified in Section 92.205 is as follows:

• Marin County intends to use its entire HOME allocation for projects described in 24 CFR 92.205(b).
• The County does not intend to use any HOME funds for projects not described in 24 CFR 92.205(b).
  1. A description of the guidelines that will be used for resale or recapture of HOME funds when used for homebuyer activities as required in 92.254, is as follows:
• No homebuyer activities are currently planned.
  1. A description of the guidelines for resale or recapture that ensures the affordability of units acquired with HOME funds (see 24 CFR 92.254(a)(4)) are as follows:
• No homebuyer activities are currently planned.
  1. Plans for using HOME funds to refinance existing debt secured by multifamily housing that is rehabilitated with HOME funds along with a description of the refinancing guidelines required that will be used under 24 CFR 92.206(b), are as follows:
• No refinancing activities are currently planned.

Discussion

Eligible applicants and application process: Local nonprofit housing developers, owners, and managers are eligible for funding. Funds are available for a wide range of activities including acquisition, development, and/or rehabilitation of affordable housing for rent or ownership by low-income households. HOME applications are reviewed through the Federal Grants application process, which includes both CDBG and HOME funds. All known nonprofit affordable housing providers working in Marin are notified when the application process opens. Throughout the year staff work to identify projects that may be candidates for HOME funds. Applications are evaluated and awarded funds through a competitive process. Staff review and evaluate each project application against a standard scoring tool. The Countywide Priority Setting Committee then reviews and recommends project funding to the Marin County Board of Supervisors, who issue a final approval. 

Beneficiaries: Marin County HOME funds are available for low-income renters and homebuyers with a household income not exceeding 80% of area median income and in accordance with HOME income limits published annually. Consistent with the County's Voluntary Compliance Agreement, family housing projects outside impacted census tracts are prioritized. No other preferences are allowed.