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Health & Fitness

The Real Truth About Affordable Housing

I am buying copies of Bob Silvestri's new book and sending them to the Novato City Council, as we are at a tipping point in Novato.

Bob Silvestri has written a superb book on the real truth on affordable housing in Marin. This is critical issue for Novato moving forward as this will impact the largest investment made, your house and its value.

Novato can not overbuild affordable housing without risking overloading the city services without sufficient tax base as well as driving down the value of housing that people have work so hard to buy and maintain as well as pay taxes.

Silvestri's book, "The Best Laid Plans: Our Planning and Affordable Housing Challenges in Marin" is a detailed review of the true story on affordable housing. I am buying copies and sending them to the Novato City Council, as we are at a tipping point in Novato.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From 1996 to 2006 Novato built 51.4 percent of all new affordable housing in Marin. The following are the details:

Novato built 56 percent of very-low-income housing of all of Marin. Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross and San Anselmo had none.

Find out what's happening in Novatowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Novato built 85 percent of the low-income housing in all of Marin. Belvedere, Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo and Sausalito built none.

Novato built 48 percent of the moderate-income housing in all of Marin. Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, Sausalito and Tiburon built none.

Novato built 48 percent of the above-moderate-income housing in all of Marin and 146 percent more than required.

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