Housing

Another Step Toward Fair Housing

Published

5 years ago

May 21, 2019

County prepares provisions for new agreement with federal government

With encouragement from the federal government, the County of Marin has entered into a new agreement designed to improve local fair housing choice and result in more affordable housing options for its most financially strapped residents.

At its hearing on May 7, the Marin County Board of Supervisors voted to enter into a new voluntary compliance agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Ten years ago, HUD asked the County to do more work to improve the access to fair housing for residents in protected classes who have historically faced discrimination in obtaining housing, employment, and other public accommodations. HUD had concluded that Marin had some shortcomings in its fair housing programs, so the County voluntarily started negotiations to take corrective actions.

The previous VCA agreement expired in 2015, and since then HUD and the County have been working on a new agreement focusing on continued improvement in several program areas. Staff from the Community Development Agency, one of the County’s 22 departments, has negotiated a new VCA. Among the provisions are commitments to:

encourage and facilitate the creation of at least 100 units of affordable housing available to families outside areas of racial or ethnic concentration;
allocate $4.1 million in general funds for affordable housing;
enhance the multifamily housing inspection program;
consider speeding up the permit process for affordable housing;
adopt and promote tenant protections;
expand and enhance affirmative marketing and community engagement in federally funded programs in Marin.

As a condition of receiving federal funds, the County is required to demonstrate compliance with federal civil rights and fair housing laws by analyzing housing segregation and submitting plans intended to reverse it. The VCA is intended to demonstrate the County’s ongoing commitment to complying with federal fair housing laws.

The County is also in the process of preparing an assessment of barriers to fair housing that will help inform recommendations to overcome those barriers. As the official plan for satisfying that requirement, the County’s Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice examines housing patterns, governmental policies and other factors affecting racial bias in housing and how patterns of segregation influence the quality of life.

The past few years, CDA staff has conducted an extensive community engagement process by reaching over 1,400 people from all areas of Marin, with a focus on communities most impacted by barriers to fair housing choice. Participants in a community advisory group and a steering committee became familiar with fair housing laws and the effects of racism and gentrification in communities of color. After 20 months, the groups’ top recommendations for the first three phases of the assessment were presented to the Board of Supervisors in 2018, including a proposal for a just-cause eviction ordinance, and a housing oversight committee to help identify solutions to the local affordable housing crisis.

In December 2018, the Board approved an ordinance requiring landlords to provide reason – a just cause – before evicting a renter within the unincorporated areas of Marin. Earlier, the County implemented source-of-income protections for tenants who receive third-party assistance in the payment of rent. The County collaborates with the Marin Housing Authority in an innovative Landlord Partnership Program that offers incentives to landlords who rent to participants of the federal government’s Housing Choice (“Section 8”) Voucher program.

Despite the progress, Marin County still ranks No. 1 among the most racially disparate counties in California. Complicating the fair housing issues is the lack of local affordable housing; Marin is one of the most expensive places to live in the United States. The median price of a single-family home in Marin is about $1.1 million, and the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment is more than $3,100.

CDA staff said the agreement with HUD is a way for the Marin community to work together to address these patterns by promoting civil rights and fair housing choice for all.

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Bay Area

Oakland Awarded $28 Million Grant from Governor Newsom to Sustain Long-Term Solutions Addressing Homelessness

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program. This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Published

12 hours ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the City of Oakland has won a$28,446,565.83 grant as part of the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) grant program.

This program provides flexible grant funding to help communities support people experiencing homelessness by creating permanent housing, rental and move-in assistance, case management services, and rental subsidies, among other eligible uses.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and the Oakland City Administrator’s Office staff held a press conference today to discuss the grant and the City’s successful implementing of the Mayor’s Executive Order on the Encampment Management Policy.

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California Black Media

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislative Package to Increase Housing, Improve Accountability

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis. The laws aim to streamline housing production and hold local governments accountable to state housing laws. The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.

Published

6 days ago

October 29, 2024

Oakland Post

On Sept. 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The Legislature will enact over 30 new laws to strengthen housing protections for residents and improve transparency and efficiency for housing programs and initiatives.

“No more excuses. California is taking action to fix the decades-long homelessness, housing, and mental health crises,” said Newsom

“These new laws — paired with the state’s unprecedented resources — will deliver more housing, get people off the streets, and provide life-changing support that will benefit all Californians,” he said.

The bill package has new laws that mandate local governments to provide housing to vulnerable residents or low-income individuals experiencing homelessness. The laws will create strict timelines and robust requirements for local governments to report progress on housing and provide notice to the public, increasing accountability for local agencies. Under the new state laws, cities and counties that fail to adopt housing element revisions or approve housing developments will face monetary penalties for failing to comply with housing laws. The state will reduce regulatory barriers to promote housing near transit and provide incentives for accessory dwelling units as well as senior and student accommodation.

The bill package includes $2.2 billion in funding through Proposition 1 to build housing for veterans and individuals struggling with mental health or substance use disorders. The state plans to develop over 4,000 housing units and expand its HomeKey initiative to convert existing buildings into housing projects for homeless people statewide.

Oakland Post

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California Black Media

Controller Malia M. Cohen: Eligible Californians Can Now Apply for Property Tax Deferment

State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025. The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.

Published

2 weeks ago

October 22, 2024

Oakland Post

State Controller Malia M. Cohen. File Photo.

By Tanu Henry, California Black Media

State Controller Malia M. Cohen announced last week that applications for property tax deferment began Oct. 1 and will continue through Feb. 10, 2025.

The California’s Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program “allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability, and who meet income and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence,” according to Cohen’s office.

In the 2023-24 tax year, qualifying California homeowners were able to postpone over $6.2 million in residential property taxes.

Funding for the PTP program is limited and participants must reapply each year and demonstrate they continue to meet eligibility requirements. Recently, the program has been expanded to include manufactured homes, and the household income limit has been raised to $53,574. The increase, according to Cohen’s office, will help make more seniors and Californians with disabilities keep their homes.