What should Marin County’s housing plan look like for the rest of this decade? What should the County prioritize for long-range climate change planning and hazard prevention? The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) is handling updates of the Housing and Safety Elements of the Marin Countywide Plan through the end of 2022 and seeks public feedback on this effort.
First, it is seeking resident and workforce feedback on its Housing Element through an online survey in English and Spanish that is open through November (watch the website for a Vietnamese version coming soon). The Safety Element team has initiated an online discussion forum as well.
The housing survey is a follow-up step to an online workshop that took place on September 22. It has 12 questions and takes about 15 minutes to complete.
CDA is also planning a second online workshop on November 15 that will focus on the Safety Element, mostly vulnerabilities to environmental hazards such as wildfires, earthquakes, and flooding. One of the major changes to the Safety Element update will be climate change adaptation and resilience planning required by new state laws, including Senate Bill 379. Marin’s population is most resilient when housed and when plans are in place to ensure that new housing is safe.
With the Housing Element update, the intent is to achieve an adequate supply of decent, safe, and affordable housing for Marin’s workforce, residents and special-needs populations at all income levels in unincorporated areas. All California towns, cities, and counties must regularly update their Housing Elements according to a 1969 state law. The County must meet its housing goals by the end of the eight-year cycle that begins in 2023.
Marin will plan for population growth by planning for new homes consistent with the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) set earlier this year by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Unincorporated Marin needs 3,569 new housing units distributed among all income categories, from very low to above moderate, according to the new RHNA goals.
Many residents live near town limits or city limits and might be interested in plans brewing across the nearby border. For that reason, there is a new website that includes news about Housing Element updates in all of Marin’s municipalities. Check out housingelementsmarin.org to learn more.
Questions and comments about the County’s process for unincorporated Marin can be emailed to staff and phone inquiries can be made to (415) 473-6269.
