San Rafael, CA – The application period opens February 15 for a new low-income senior housing complex in Fairfax that received significant funding from the County of Marin. Victory Village, located one mile north of the downtown area, is scheduled to open this summer.
There will be 53 new one-bedroom homes at Victory Village, including 11 apartments to be allocated to people transitioning from homelessness. There will be 53 new one-bedroom homes and one two-bedroom manager’s unit at 2626 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, including 11 apartments to be allocated to people transitioning from homelessness. The opening is considered a triumph for fair housing and assistance to people with physical challenges. Twenty-eight apartments are designed for tenants with mobility impairments, and three of those have enhancements for those with auditory or visual impairments.
Addressing homelessness through the Housing First approach and preserving and creating affordable housing have been key priorities for the Marin County Board of Supervisors for years. Supervisor Katie Rice, who represents the Ross Valley and is Board President this year, eagerly watched Victory Village take shape from a mere concept.
“I’m so pleased that the County was able to be part of making Victory Village a reality,” she said. “It will provide safe and healthy homes for some of our most needy and most vulnerable neighbors.”
Anyone 62 years old or older and making less than $72,500 per year is eligible to apply. The maximum allowed household is three people. The Marin Housing Authority is managing the application process.
“There is an ongoing and urgent need to support projects like this because so many people have told the County that they can’t afford to live here anymore, even if they grew up here and have lived here for most of their lives,” said County Planning Manager Leelee Thomas.
Construction began on the $35.6 million Victory Village in fall 2018 after more than six years of planning and working to obtain permits. The location is the former home of Christ Lutheran Church and Cascade Canyon School. The project received $2.6 million of assistance from the County of Marin's Affordable Housing Fund in the form of a $1.5 million grant and a $1.1 million loan.
The County assistance aligns well with County goals formed after more and more residents expressed concern about being priced out of Marin because of high rents and mortgages. Marin has some of the highest home prices in the country with a median price for a single-family home at $1.1 million, and the average rent for a two-bedroom unit is $3,121.
Resources for Community Development, a 32-year-old nonprofit based in Berkeley, was the recipient of the grant and loan. The Board-approved County funding came from its fund established in 1980 to support housing for low-income and very-low-income households. The housing funds can be used anywhere in the county, with a priority for projects in the unincorporated areas.
This is the second time County funds have supported a major housing project in Fairfax. In February 2016, the Board approved $675,000 to prevent 27 units of affordable family housing from being changed to market rates at the Piper Court Apartments.
More information about the application process for Victory Village can be found on the Marin Housing Authority website, including promotional flyers in Spanish and Vietnamese.
Learn more on the County’s Affordable Housing webpage.