Those we depend upon can not find places to live affordable to their incomes. The impacts are not just on businesses that give economic stability to Marin but also on local
government, school districts, services, hospitals -- and all of us. Seniors who have lived here many
years cannot afford to stay near family and friends. Young people starting out cannot afford to live here.
To be sustainable, communities need a range of housing. Marin's housing stock does not offer options for very many who work in Marin.
Our traffic problem is related to our housing problem: those who work in Marin have to commute from other counties to jobs in Marin. We have a traffic problem now, not caused by affordable housing, a traffic problem that needs addressing on its own. Affordable housing creates 1/3 the traffic that market rate homes create, and in addition it brings people nearer their jobs.
Housing solutions are not contrary to environmental protection: we have protected 80% of Marin County for agriculture and open space. Creative planning in and around current built communities, near transit corridors, and near jobs can create a new balance in our housing stock, continue to protect our environmental resources, and plan for a sustainable future.
Housing solutions do not suggest a big growth for Marin County -- Marin has grown less than any other County in the Bay Area and it is not predicted to grow any more significantly. However, between 1985 and 1995 we created 22,000 jobs and only 7,000 units of housing -- and only 700 units of those housing were affordable. Creative planning limits the impacts and makes housing fit into neighborhoods and downtowns.
We have pushed our housing needs onto nearby counties, contributing to growth on agricultural lands in Sonoma, Contra Costa and Solano Counties. Those counties and the State of California are expecting Marin to do its part to house its own work force. Are we protecting land without significant environmental resources because we want no growth, while pushing growth onto agriculturally and environmentally valuable land elsewhere?
We have the opportunity now to make significant choices and planning for the kind of housing we need and want in every Marin Community. We have the support so that elected leaders can make appropriate decisions to establish good policy and planning for housing.
Every jurisdiction needs to do its part. It is time to make housing a priority for Marin's leadership.
To get involved, contact Betty Pagett at bpagett@eahhousing.org.