Housing Meetings: The Marin County Board of Supervisors conducted a public Merit Hearing on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 and adopted an ordinance amending Chapter 5.53 of the Marin County Code "Income-Based Rental Housing Discrimination" to eliminate an exception for owner-occupied structures (Board Packet (English); Staff Report (English, Español, Tiếng Việt); Ordinance (English, Español, Tiếng Việt)). The elimination of this exception simplifies the process for understanding and determining Ordinance applicability. Furthermore, it supports an original intent of the Ordinance to inhibit a discriminatory rental environment by preventing property owners from disseminating advertising materials expressing preference based on a persons' source of income. A First Reading of the Ordinance was held on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 (Board Packet (English); Staff Report (English, Español, Tiếng Việt)). A Frequently Asked Questions sheet for the Fair Housing Ordinance is available here.
A comprehensive set of policy options to address the County’s affordable housing needs were considered by the Board of Supervisors over the course of four public workshops on October 13, November 17 and December 15, 2015 and February 9, 2016 (associated materials provided below). The Board identified the subject Fair Housing Ordinance as a priority work plan item to prevent displacement of existing residents and preserve affordable housing in unincorporated Marin County. It adopted the original Fair Housing Ordinance on November 8, 2016 (Board Packet (English); Staff Report (English, Español, Tiếng Việt); Ordinance (English, Español, Tiếng Việt)), and directed staff to return with a proposal to eliminate exceptions for owner-occupied structures.
If you have questions regarding these meetings, please contact Debbi La Rue, Planner at dlarue@marincounty.org or 415-473-7309, or Leelee Thomas, Planning Manager at lthomas@marincounty.org.
*Please note that proposed meeting times are estimates only and may be subject to change.
About
The mission of the Affordable Housing Program is to preserve and expand the range and supply of adequate, accessible, and affordable housing through housing policies, regulations and programs. While our Agency does not manage housing units or services directly, we have included a list of resources and links to local services and providers in the ‘where can I find affordable housing’ section of this website.
Where Can I Find Affordable Housing?
Are There Affordable Homes in Marin?
Yes there are. Affordable homes are found in nearly all neighborhoods and come in all sizes. Some examples may be seen in the slideshow.
What is Affordable Housing?
According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, housing costs should equal 30% of a household's gross income. For homeowners this includes principal, interest, taxes and insurance and for renters it includes rent and utilities.
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