Affordable Housing In Marin County: Yes, We Need It
Affordable housing in Marin County is as oxymoronic to some people as some of George Carlin’s famous examples, like “semi-boneless ham”, and “military intelligence.”
It is a difficult, complex problem, with no easy right or wrong answers for anyone. People in Tiburon are quite upset over the prospect of Habitat for Humanity putting in some affordable homes in a new development in their neighborhood.
It’s a critical issue for all kinds of reasons, and one you should support. Yes, we need to have the ability to have local workers - firemen, teachers, etc. live in the communities they work in. But more important than that is the diversity that different lifestyles provide, and that also comes with having people from all social strata.
Marin County is changing a lot. I see it every day. In the 60’s it was a hippie haven, in the 70s and the 80’s it became a bastion of social and political liberalism and the land of hot tubs. When I moved here 16 years ago, evidence of all of those cultural influences were everywhere. It’s rapidly becoming far more homogenous, and wealthier. Not that there’s anything wrong with that - it’s just not what it was, and I think we’re all a little poorer for it.
Trying to somehow make housing affordable for some people is one small way to add to the diversity of the community here.
And I completely disagree with the point of view expressed in the article that it will hurt property values. There are a number of examples of affordable housing developments in Marin County that successfully co-exist side by side with regular housing, and no one even knows it is there. Creekside in Larkspur is a great example.
People hear the words “low income housing” and they immediately think “welfare recipients.” The reality is these are working people, with families and incomes. They don’t want to miss a payment. They want to maintain their property. They want to contribute to the community. And in the housing that’s being considered for Tiburon they’re making $56,000 a year. That’s “low income” in Marin County - but a full $10,000 a year more than the average US household income!
Marin County can easily afford affordable housing, and we’ll all be better off for it.
