This is another proppganda piece backed by the Marin Community Foundation.

Find out what is really going on and make your vote count before Novato reaches its tipping point.

ONE BAY AREA
http://www.onebayarea.org/plan_bay_area/
ABAG- REGIONAL HOUSING ALLOCATION
http://www.abag.ca.gov/housing-top.html
LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxwpoLztx70

Considering the source, is this really something that rises to the level of 'news' or is the patch getting paid to advertise for them?

If the patch is getting paid, shouldn't they disclose it?

I would say that the assumptions, goal, directives, data, and conclusions are fairly suspect given that of course this is a report made not impartially. How can one speak from authority there about the will and need of Marin's people? It's a common problem with politically driven lobby groups, private 501c foundations, politicians that crony up in the same social groups, and others who will tell you what is best for you and the direction of your county. They expect a dogmatic response to their ideology. Yeah, more dense housing in South Marin perhaps? (chuckle).

While I disagree with the report and it's biased source it does make a compelling argument for killing SMART now.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I totally disagree with Live Local and the Greenbelt Alliance. They are insane if they think Marin county owes everyone who works here an affordable home. STOP THE INSANITY!!!

OK, Marin County Liberalism is really getting out of control. We should be grateful to have a job and any roof over our heads... but no, Marin county seems to be giving everyone who cannot afford to live here a sense of entitlement.

Maybe Marin can do more, but why Novato? Why not Belvedere,Corinthian Island, or out on Paradise Drive? O-yeah, nevermind.

I just read the report and the data is carefully noted and referenced. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Eyler of Sonoma State University and Marin Economic Forum who did the analysis. Living and working locally is good for families, our local businesses and the environment.

Annan, since next to San Rafael, southern Marin comes second with driving-in-commuters, then if live locally is the goal, there is the perfect spot for the 600 affordable housing units. Novato is third with driving-in-commuters and has 20% of Marins population and provides 33% of affordable housing.

Rather than subsidize housing, why don't we look at some real plans to create some jobs in Marin County and create some public transportation to SF (where the jobs are?). I don't see how making affordable housing a larger percentage of the housing stock in Novato or San Rafael is going to make those towns any better? It is not going to attract more business, those using affordable housing are not going to spur the local economies, and we've debated numerous times whether the associated rise in crime and cost of services is worth it. (Have your opinion - I don't want to stir up that debate again.) If MCF wants more affordable housing, let them raise money, build it and manage it. I want my tax dollars going to something that helps the local economy, not hinders it for the long-term.

The largest employer in Marin is the County. I believe the 2nd largest is Autodesk, and they have been slowly moving jobs to other areas (SF, and out of state). Few new businesses of any size are coming to Marin.

The main public transportation initiative has been SMART, and that is not resolving the issue. SMART does not go to SF, hence the only way it can EVER become economically viable is to create large job growth in Marin somewhere. What happened to the idea of a Ferry at the Port Sonoma location? That seems like an ideal situation to take some cars off the roads for Northern Marin and Southern Sonoma?

We need more jobs that pay more than $10.00 an hour. Not more housing for people who work the lowest paying, least secure jobs.

Not that I take issue with people who work these jobs, I take issue with the lack of jobs in Marin that pay more than $10.00 an hour.
We're one of the wealthiest Counties in the world, why don't we have more jobs that pay a decent wage?

People shop where they work AND where they live.

This is report is supported by data and reason. The Marin Community Foundation does admirable work on behalf of those who need a helping hand, which also benefits all of us. Fox News (and probably most of the commentators here) like to call it "social engineering," but I call it sustainability and compassion. Beryl Buck was politically liberal, she donated a large portion of her money with the expressed purpose of providing support and opportunity to very low income and marginalized people. Fox News and friends have the Koch Brothers and most of the wealthy 1% 'feeding' a self-serving conservative agenda. Marin fortunately has Ms Buck's Foundation. And all of us, not just those in need of a helping hand, gain from the possibilities her money provides. Novato and San Rafael require more housing and support services because we are cities, and like all cities exist thanks to a diverse population of workers who provide for our many wants and necessities. (Ever seen a city of 50,000 with only large single family homes? Please ask yourself why not.) That tiny wealthy enclaves such as Ross and Belvedere are primarily about their own towns shouldn't give the rest of us license to turn our backs on those in need in ours, this includes the many workers with time-draining, costly and carbon gas spewing commutes. By providing affordable home options for some of those already working here and serving us, we create a more environmentally and economically sustainable community for us all.

Put lowcost housing in Southern Marin, Novato has done it's share. Don't believe this propaganda, Marin Community Foundation is doing it's work again to try to push forward something Novato doesn't need or want.

Anyone with the least bit of mathematical ability can use statistics to write a story they want to tell. Affordable housing advocates do just that. Take for example, the 99%ers. They imply by their label that are and speak for everyone not in the top 1%. Another use of numbers to mislead. While I am not in the 1%, I do not think anyone who is owes me anything. That would be greedy on my part.

For you share the wealth, government and/or the wealthy owe me residents of Marin, who want to build affordable housing, I whole heartedly support sharing affordable housing with you. The citizens of Belvedere, Tiburon, Ross, Kentfield, San Anselmo, Sausalito, Mill Valley, etc, etc are entitled to the wealth that comes from a cultural and diversity.

What this report doesn't tell you is, non-profit housing does not pay for our infrastructure; which includes our public schools and our police services, yet will use them. Non-profit housing is tax exempt for 55 years and receives grants and bonds to purchase the land and develop. Affordable housing isn't affordable. Eden Housing $400,000 per unit to build is excessive when you can buy condos for well under $200,000 in Novato. In addition, there is no accountibility of the non-profit to provide safe housing. They don't have to ( as in the example of the Wyndover Apartments). The average household income of the Novato resident (per Marin Housing Authority) is approx $61,000 a year, yet Novatans are being required to pay for housing for those who make over $90,000 AND sholder the infrastructure for the investor/non-profit that can make millions a year off of rents (as the Wyndover Apartments does, our most clear example).
This study does not include telecommuting (which many of us do) or free choice. Many people work in Novato and live elsewhere because they want to--- like many Novato employees which can well afford to live her (ie The Planning Dept. staff).
High Density Low Income Housing is a failed model and it is failing here in Novato. The concentration of poverty is prejudice and unfair. I disagree with a lot of what Jeanne MacLeamy has done or not done, but I do agree we her in the need to scatter AH rather than clump them all together.

I find this report to be self serving and lacking any real credibility. I am disappointed to see it given article status which implies credibility. The truth is this is just another push to bully Novato into accepting an unfair disbursement of affordable housing. We have had this debate and the simple fact is every community should be held equally accountable to helping provide AH. There is a tipping point when there are no employment opportunities, and taxpayer provided services are overloaded and negatively impacted. This report conveniently ignores simple realities. What I find most disturbing is the lack of any consideration for the welfare of the over 50k people that already live here. MCF and its privately funded political action groups such as those mentioned in this article have an agenda that is designed to alter reality and facts to fit their notion of what everyone else should do. Ever wonder why the BOD of MCF never take a stand on having their nannies and gardeners living near their enclaves in AH housing? It is hypocrisy and they should be ashamed of calling themselves advocates for AH until they are willing to walk the walk instead of using talk and checkbooks to relieve their consciences at all of our expenses.

So Annan, you are not getting paid anything by SUNN? Nothing at all? Please clarify.
Dick's Spotswoods column in the Marin Ij said you were getting a "stipend". Is this incorrect? That is where I was getting information regarding you being paid. If you are not getting paid anything at all, then please say so. Many people are.
I am also correct in saying there is a lot of money in the high density low income housing industry. With tax exemptions, tax bonds, grants, donations etc---coupled with income of rents, it is a cash cow. The Wyndover Apartments is a prime example of this. Look how many people are working for the "non-profits" and getting paid well.
What is very disturbing is AH industry has no regard for our police services or public schools and how they will survive with the influx of more and more and more people whose housing does not support these services. Novato has done a great job with AH, yet as one council member stated, "it will never be enough for the state."
The state is such a mess, and now they are telling us what to do! Our local control is eroding day by day.
Annan, how do you suggest our infrastructure will support all this housing that you and the nonprofits want? Please tell me where the jobs will be for this "work force housing." Is this about building walls and walking away? Where are the social programs to help escape the cycle of poverty?

Toni the simple truth is the state agenda is to placate the electorate without regard to consequence. In a faltering economy rather than display fiscal responsibility politicians and their benefactors find it much easier to simply mandate unfunded pipe dreams of the American Way of life. They just got burnt by allowing every one who wanted a home to have one regardless of consequence and plunged us into the worse recession/depression since the 30's. With that idea fresh in their minds they have now decided if they can't give people homes they can at least placate the masses through these type of initiatives that do nothing to alleviate the cycle of poverty. Simply moving people out of the city to the suburbs without education, jobs programs, proper support of local services are just the way they deflect from the need for real reform and progress. It is further clear that the shrinking middle class is being asked to shoulder the entire burden so the elite can point to at places like Novato and say "see they are not cooperating" "They are preventing you from having housing" It is nonsense and they are playing on the fears, needs and insecurity to avoid any real reform by the upper elitist class. Sounds like 101 class in sociology never the less true.

Toni,

Wyndover is atypical. Built 50 years ago as market rate housing, taken over by an absentee, out of town, primarily market rate owner who spun off a non-profit. Most affordable housing is built by mission-driven local non-profits and all of these are successful. We have close to 100 neighborhoods like that throughout Marin that serve the disabled, seniors, and working families. Your fixation with Wyndover may be preventng you from seeing the positive examples like The Next Key (30 units/acre), NovaRo III (34 units/acre), The Villas (50 units/acre), or lower density Mackey Terrace, Meadow Park, Creekside etc all wonderful Novato neighborhoods. Take a visit to San Clemente in Corte Madera, watch the families playing in the Courtyard playground, visit thDrakes Way in Larkspur which had 7 applicants for each unit. Nobody wants an absentee owner, whether market rate or not, but the Police are dealing w/ Wyndover management, and the 1% of Novato police calls that it used to represent (many for non-crime noise complaints) has dropped by 50% due to their efforts. (See Patch article on this http://novato.patch.com/articles/progress-made-with-pd-calls-for-service-at-wyndover-chief-says ) Typical local non-profits invest in community, pay on-going parcel taxes for schools, City Fees, permits, water hook-up fees etc. Not to mention the multiplier affect of residents who aren't so stretched paying 50-60% of their income on rent they can spend more locally.

If city council would stop the constant and consistant crime at Wyndover I wouldn't bring it up. If the city council was smart, they would hire more police less consultants and deal with the constant crime. But no, they'd rather play Ring Around The Rosie on who should be Mayor.
High density, multi-family, low income housing is a failed model. Ask any retired cop who is no longer muzzled, they will tell you "it has failed everywhere."

Vote for change. Vote for hope. Vote Leslie Peterson Schwarze for City Council! Turn the direction of Novato around.

This is the same debate we had last time. We understand the realities of what AH means. we understand what a good neighbor is. we have listened to all sides. Now it time for all of us to tell the politicians what we are willing to do and not be told what to do by Sacramento, or the MCF that has made its motives known by super funding special interests groups that push a policy that doesn't work. These so called articles do nothing to answer the real questions and challenges. They cause this debate which is always divisive and forces many of us who would work to improve and help low wage residents, stand to the side because that isn't what we are really being asked to do. This nonsense of GHG used as a reason is disingenuous at best. If the majority of those commuting to Marin go to Central and Southern Marin building housing up north makes NO sense and completely flies in the face reason.
How about a little honesty and less rhetoric? Maybe then we can finally get to the core of the issues.

Why are we not making Wyndover pay PILOT, Payment in Lieu of Taxes? Is it too late to institute that? Even if everyone there were an angel, they still drive on Novato roads and use Novato services. There should be someway of capturing lost property tax revenue.

As for "high paying" jobs, I think In-N-Out Burger starts at $11.25. That's better than the $10 mentioned.

Marla
Read this, all the way through...http://www.marinij.com/business/ci_18626007
It even covers the poster child of all that is good, Drakes...

Marla

Like you I want to help. I believe in the philosophy where you put the oxygen mask on first so that you don't pass out while trying to save your family. Novato needs to put on its "fiscal oxygen mask" before it moves forward with any other projects that increase the need for local services without an offsetting revenue base. For these studies to be valid they must look at more than just a few variables. The entire financial picture is essential to the outcome of any study.

For example, it is not reasonable to suggest that the schools have sufficient funds to add additional SED (socioeconomically disadvantaged) and ELL (English language learners) students to their roster. When you mix statistics concerning senior housing with family and multigenerational housing you ignore the needs of each population. There is and continues to be local support for senior housing with an age range of 62 and above, not 55 and under. Nova Ro was built by the local Rotarians not a mission driven nonprofit.

continued
I am relieved if newer housing developments are working for the residents and the neighbors. I do not believe Novato can continue to support this percentage of affordable housing without a tax base to balance the numbers. I know that our city budget is stretched to the extreme and that our schools cannot provide the needed services to existing ELL and SED students. Why would we want to further strain our schools by increasing the need for services to a population that we all ready serve? Novato has always been a melting pot of people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, much more so than southern Marin. If we want to help, then we need to focus on the folks that are here and on bringing in businesses that will provide higher paying jobs to local residents.

The People Of Novato Need A Voice On The City Council; Vote Leslie Peterson Schwarze for Novato City Council And Be Heard!

The new affordable Warner Creek senior development that just broke ground gave nearly $20,000 to Novato Unifed School Fees and will pay ongoing parcel taxes. That's more than our annual school fundraiser at San Jose Middle School likely made and those seniors aren't even using the services. Leslie opposed the development, but the 55+ thing is a red herring. Housing managers have told us 55+ developments have an average age of 70+. Also more than 1/3 of those Warner Creek units are for critically ill, so who cares what age they are? No school-aged child would ever suffer the "indignity" of living in a senior community, it just doesn't happen. Warern Creek offer classes for the seniors, computer learning, financial advise, social activites, health advice, gardening etc. It will be a real benefit to our community and it is too bad Leslie and other people chose to oppose it.

Marla, the school parcel tax is 8.00 a month, hardly enough to support our Public Schools
Why did Eden Housing chose to leave the lot blighted for over 15 months after repeated requests to clean it up? Is that a good neighbor?
Leslie supports Senior Housing, yet has the guts to ask the hard questions.

The good of San Clemente:
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_9685538
The bad of San Clemente/aka so much for screening
http://www.marinij.com/ci_14933762

Marla
Monahan Pacific is the builder of 33 North, Drake's Way, and Drake's Cove...they are the builder..EAH was the developer...

Annan Patterson, please tell us how much you make from pushing your high density low income housing agenda. Why are you not telling the people? Did you tell people that were endorsing SUNN that the city of Novato will go broke with your agenda? This is about land grabbing and rezoning people's personal property. Did you tell them that? Did you tell them that non-profit housing does not pay any real estate taxes? Did you tell them that there is no law that requires crime free housing? Did you tell them where the jobs were for new residents? Did you tell them that our police are on a bare bones staff (thanks to the city council) and more people will not mean more police services?

You're just lashing out because Leslie Peterson Schwarze didn't get the IJ endorsement and they know that rants like this have no base in fact. It's a great article - http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_19099842

Ryan? Is that your real name? No last name....because???

The Marin IJ endorsed two incumbents that violated The Brown Act. The IJ obviously wants business as usual and has not been kind to the good people of Novato....calling us, "the city of rage"? How about "The city that is informed".

Leslie Peterson Schwarze is not beholden to the status quo and the special interest groups. She is beholden to the good people of Novato. A critical thinker a voice of reason.
I am tired of the crime at Wyndover Apartments. I am tired of the gang activity not only there, but at Bay Vista. I am tired of the city spending thousands and thousands on consultants and cutting our police to a skeleton staff. I can't imagine people wanting more of the same...
There has been fantastic support all over Novato for Leslie. People want their voice to be heard and she is the people's hope!

Ryan,
It's okay to violate The Brown Act? Your organizations think so?

You'd have to ask them. But seriously - The Brown Act? Wow. What a scandal! First Anthony Weiner, not the Brown Act in Novato! You know these Councilmembers. There's nothing sinister going on there.

I think it is important to follow The Brown Act. The people deserve to have a voice. We still live in a democracy. I don't reward bad behavior, the IJ apparently does. They wrote an Editorial on how awful it was for Novato's City Council to have not followed The Brown Act and then endorsed the two incumbents!
I will no longer be engaging with someone who does not give their full and real name.

Do you think it's a pattern or just a one time thing?

I live in San Rafael and I shop in Novato and North of there as far as Rohnert Park.
San Rafael complains about revenue, yet the current candidates for City Council do not approve of National or "Big Box" stores. If they want people to shop local, they should have the store that people want to shop at. And BTW, I hope "Appeal SMART" gets on the ballot and wins. If you agree, please contact them for information. They are on Facebook.

Vote on the IJ
http://www.marinij.com/
Should Marin do more to make housing affordable?

Total Votes = 331
Yes 112 Votes, or 33.83 %
No 219 Votes, or 66.16 %

I would also add the Marin I J is only as accurate as its editorial bias. It would be accurate to say they represent an opinion as opposed to factual reporting.

With all due respect to the participants on this thread, and while we do appreciate the discussion, let's keep it focused on the Live Local report and related issues, please. Thanks!

I'm speaking for myself, one of the Marin Patch editors. And you're absolutely right - the vast majority of the comments here are staying well within the orbit. But while there are certainly layers, unfair generalizations about a purported bias at the IJ is not one of them.

This is factual, You couldn't pay me to read the Marin Idependand Journal. I do not like their journalism. Facts, nothing but facts!

I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed that $1,200 a month is a low income rent? Or that $50,000 a year makes you eligible for that low income rent?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
"30%"Limit 22,450/ 25,650/ 28,850/ 32,050/ 34,650/ 37,200/ 39,750/ 42,350
"50%" Limit 37,400/ 42,750/ 48,100/ 53,400/ 57,700/ 61,950/ 66,250/ 70,500
"60%" Limit 44,880/ 51,300/ 57,720/ 64,080/ 69,240/ 74,340/ 79,500/ 84,600
"80%" Limit 59,850/ 68,400/ 76,950/ 85,450/ 92,300/ 99,150 /106,000/ 112,800

These are the Marin County 2011 Income levels based on number of people in household and percentage of total for earnings limits.
http://www.hcd.ca.gov/fa/home/2011_incomelimitseffective_july13-Correctedfor%20SanDiego.pdf

Dick Spotswood: County supervisors should have told HUD to 'get lost' 10/16/11
http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_19116465#.Tpr2MZzHzh4.email

Most Marinites are not racists. They actively support nondiscrimination. That counts for little. The reality is that housing activists resent that upper-middle class whites and Asians can afford to live in attractive, crime-free communities.
<<<CLICK BELOW TO READ DICK SPOTSWOOD'S LATEST IJ ARTICLE>>>
http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_19116465#.Tpr2MZzHzh4.email