There is a real housing crisis in Marin County, and it is impacting all of us.
Schools, hospitals, and local businesses are challenged to recruit employees. Families and retirees struggle to remain in the community they’ve long known as home. Cities and towns are grappling to address homelessness. It’s a problem decades in the making, with an increasing need for local solutions.
In the Bay Area, the numbers are staggering: 38,000 people without homes, and nearly one and a half million renters struggling to keep up with rent that eats up over half of their income. In Marin County, 55% of tenants spend more than 30% of their income on rent… and those who are rent-burdened are disproportionately people of color, older adults, and people with disabilities.
At Community Action Marin, our work to address the causes and consequences of poverty includes a focus on affordable housing—a critical issue for people across generations. In fact, our agency’s 2023 Community Needs Assessment identified housing as the top priority of a statistically significant portion of Marin residents. Similarly, the County of Marin’s most recent Community Survey identified affordable housing and solutions to homelessness among the top priorities of residents.
Take the story of Kelli McMains, a long-time Marin resident who went from being a business owner to experiencing homelessness through a series of unexpected events. Kelli’s story is just one of many illustrating the tough choices and harsh realities so many of our neighbors are experiencing. Too many can’t find affordable housing in Marin, eroding both quality of life and the fabric of our communities. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We believe that housing is a human right.
And we’re partnering with others in community to ensure there is safe, affordable housing for all in Marin. Join us in the work of exploring and advocating for solutions. Together, we can make a real difference.
In solidarity,
Chandra Alexandre
Chief Executive Officer
P.S. Send us your questions at CAMadvocacy@camarin.org.