City Government

Money Available for Affordable Housing Development

More money is available for affordable housing developers to create new affordable homes in Marin County and preserve existing affordable units. This year, the County of Marin is leveraging several local, state and federal funding sources and issuing a single online application for affordable housing developers to bid for a portion of the $5 million available.

Published

1 year ago

February 20, 2023

Oakland Post

Now under construction, Centertown apartments in downtown San Rafael will offer 60 affordable homes for families

March 17 deadline to apply for over $5 million in funding; March 1 virtual meeting set to assist applicants

By Molly Kron

More money is available for affordable housing developers to create new affordable homes in Marin County and preserve existing affordable units.

This year, the County of Marin is leveraging several local, state and federal funding sources and issuing a single online application for affordable housing developers to bid for a portion of the $5 million available. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) guidelines provide more details about the different types of funding and criteria for project eligibility.

Streamlining the application and allocation process supports developers who face high housing production costs and helps address the chronic shortage of affordable homes in Marin.

The available funding includes roughly $2.3 million in County Affordable Housing Funds (including a one-for-one match from the State Permanent Local Housing Allocation), $2.4 million in new federal funds from the American Rescue Plan, and $600,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funds specific to housing projects.

The funds can be used for acquisition, rehabilitation, and new construction projects, although eligibility differs among the funding sources.

To address questions from potential applicants, County staff will host a virtual workshop at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 1. Registration is open on the County’s Affordable Housing webpage. Around June, staff will present funding recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for final approval.

Marin has some of the highest home prices and development costs in the country. The median local price for a single-family detached home has hovered around $1.5 million in recent years, and typical rents range from $2,500 to $3,400. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been increased concern about homelessness in Marin and discussions about how to stabilize renters and expand housing choices

Well before the public health emergency, the Marin County Board of Supervisors made the preservation of affordable housing and displacement prevention top priorities as more and more Marin residents expressed concern about being priced out of the county because of high rents and mortgages.

The County’s Housing & Federal Grants Division, housed within the Community Development Agency, seeks to preserve and expand the range and supply of adequate, accessible and affordable housing through housing policies, regulations and programs. The Board and CDA staff work in tandem to increase the local stock of affordable housing, thereby enhancing socioeconomic balance in local communities.

Learn more by exploring the Super-NOFA and funding application on the County’s Affordable Housing webpage. Questions may be directed to Housing staff by email (affordablehousing@marincounty.org) or by phone at (415) 473-7309.

Molly Kron is a senior planner for the Housing and Federal Grants Division in the Marin County Community Development Agency.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

3 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

6 days ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.