Affordable Housing Review by Novato City Council June 26th

We are one year away from the fire storm that hit Novato, due to the planning staff put forth affordable housing plans of such volume and magnitude they succeed in waking up everyone to not only look at where we were going but also where we have been.Any acceptance of ABAG numbers has to be tied to the past performance of Novato.

From 1996 to 2006 Novato built 51.4% of all affordable housing in Marin.  The following are the details: Novato built 56% of Very Low housing of all of Marin and Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross and San Anselmo had none. Novato built 85% Low housing in all of Marin and Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo and Sausalito built none. Novato built 48% of Moderate housing in all of Marin.  Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, Sausalito and Tiburon built none. Novato built 48% of the Above Moderate housing in all of Marin and 146% more than required.

In the 2007 to 2014 Novato, 20% of the population was allocated 25.4% of all Marin affordable housing after that the significant building in the 1996 to 2006 housing cycle.  The following is the breakdown: 25% of the Very Low housing in Marin 22.6% of the low housing in Marin 22.6% of Moderate Housing 27.9% of above affordable housing.

The goal of Novato should be two fold given the last two housing cycles: 1. Reduce very low and low housing in the next cycle to none at all or a small amount. 2. Reduce all affordable housing to be in compliance with Government Code Section 65584 (d) to an allocation that equalizes the distribution in Marin as required by the law.