Increase housing supply

The Housing Element identifies 12 programs to support housing supply.

These programs are listed below to include an overview of its objective(s), schedule and status.

Program 1: Adequate Sites for RHNA and Monitoring of No Net Loss

Program 1a: Adequate Sites for RHNA

• Objective: Amend CWP to adjust Inland Rural/City-Center corridor boundary and ensure consistency between CWP and zoning districts. Complete Housing Overlay District (HOD) rezoning.
• Due Date: January 2023
• Status: (Complete) The boundary was amended as part of Countywide Plan Amendments and HOD policy language was also included for the adoption of the Housing Element and Approved by the Board of Supervisors in January 2023. 

Program 1b: Site Inventory

• Objective: Maintain an inventory of available sites for residential development and make it available on the County website.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Complete; Ongoing) The County Housing Element website includes a Housing Element site inventory list and interactive map. 

Program 1c: Evaluating Sites 

• Objective: Implement a formal evaluation procedure to monitor the development of vacant and nonvacant sites in the sites inventory and update annually.
• Due Date: January 2024
• Status: (Complete; Ongoing) Staff have created a table and language to include in all planning decisions that do not meet the RHNA site requirements in the inventory that tracks site development and includes language to explain whether adequate sites are available. As development projects are submitted for entitlements, Housing staff conduct feasibility to ensure that adequate sites are able to meet the RHNA.

Program 1d: Local Coastal Plan 

• Objective: Update the Local Coastal Plan to be consistent with the CWP
• Due Date: December 2024
• Status: (In Progress) Efforts are currently underway to implement the 2023 Housing Element Update in the Coastal area. Draft documents have been prepared and are now available for public review. Public outreach is set to begin on March 15, 2025. The expected date for adoption by the Board is between early and late fall.

Program 1e: Large Property Engagement 

• Objective: Meet with property owners of large sites and County-owned sites at least annually to facilitate development of housing on sites.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Complete; Ongoing) The County Housing Element website includes a Housing Element site inventory list. Staff meet with owners of sites planned with over 100 units on a regular basis including multiple times in 2024. 

Program 1f: County Owned Sites

• Objective: Identify the appropriate avenues for development/ redevelopment of County-owned sites, through tools such as disposition of properties, land leases, request for proposals, and/or public private partnerships to achieve affordable housing. Pursue follow-up actions to facilitate development of sites within the planning period of this Housing Element, including compliance with the Surplus Land Act.
• Due Date: December 2025
• Status: (In Progress) In 2025, the County continued support for development of affordable housing on County-owned sites. The former U.S. Coast Guard property in Point Reyes Station, designated as surplus land under the Surplus Land Act, received planning entitlements and is in process of preparing submission of building permits and their tax credit application. The County is actively engaging with the developer around disposing the property in 2026. 

Program 2: By Right Approval

• Objective: Update Development Code to address the by-right approval requirements.
• Due Date: January 2023
• Status: (Complete) By-right approval was established and applied to all sites in the Housing Element in the Development Code as part of the Housing Element Process and approved in January 2023 by the Board of Supervisors. 

Program 3: Replacement Housing

• Objective: Update the Development Code to address the replacement requirements (see Program 1).
• Due Date: January 2023
• Status: (Complete) Replacement requirements were part of an update to Development Code requirements that were approved by the Board of Supervisors on June 4, 2024. 

Program 4: Accessory Dwelling Units

Program 4a: Permits 

• Objective: Permit on average 35 ADUs/JADUs per year (280 over 8 years).
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) Marin County issued 48 permits for ADUs/JADUs in the 2024 calendar year. 

Program 4b: Webpage 

• Objective: Update ADU webpage semi-annually, or more frequently as needed, to ensure information addresses questions raised by applicants.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) ADUMarin.org is updated on a regular basis and is managed in partnership with the ADU Center, a nonprofit organization that cities, towns, and Marin County are partnering with for additional support for property owners.

Program 4c: Ombudsperson 

• Objective: Create an ombudsperson position to help property owners navigate the ADU pre-development process.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) Marin County, partnering with cities and towns, hired the ADU Center to serve this role and conduct feasibility studies for property owners to help them navigate the predevelopment process. 

Program 4d: Pre-Approved Plans 

• Objective: Develop pre-approved plans for different ADU sizes.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) The ADU Center is coordinating with the Community Development Agency to approve plans that are compliant with AB 1332. 

Program 4e: Financial Incentives 

• Objective: Annually, pursue and allocate financial incentives to support ADU construction with the annual goal of assisting 5 lower income households with ADU construction or deed restricting 5 ADUs as affordable housing.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Complete; Ongoing) Marin County offers a fee waiver program that requires deed restriction of units, see below. 

Program 4f: Housing Units 

• Objective: Develop incentives or strategies to encourage the use of ADUs as housing units.
• Due Date: December 2025        
• Status: (Complete) On March 11, 2025, the Board of Supervisors approved a two-year extension to development fee waivers for ADUs and JADUs. To receive the minimum fee waiver, the property owner must affirm that the unit will not be used as a short term rental. For the higher fee waivers, the property owner must rent the eligible ADU to a low or moderate income household and deed-restrict the unit.

Program 4g: Production 

• Objective: Review the production of ADUs to ensure the County is meeting it's overall goal of at least 280 ADUs during the planning period.
• Due Date: 1/31/2025, every other year thereafter
• Status: (In Progress) Marin County issued 57 ADU building permits in 2023 and 48 in 2024. As the County's overall goal is 280 units, equating to 35 units a year, Marin County is on track to produce 280 units and will examine development on an ongoing basis.

Program 4h: Fair Housing Fact Sheets 

• Objective: Develop a fair housing factsheet to be included in the ADU application packet.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete): The County of Marin, in partnership with Fair Housing of Northern California, has created a Fair Housing Fact Sheet for the public with information for ADU and SB9 projects. Marin County and Cities and Towns are reviewing a draft of this document that will be published to the County's website in April 2025.

Program 5: SB 9 Mapping Tool

Program 5a: SB 9 Mapping Tool

• Objective: Develop and implement an online mapping tool that will identify areas in unincorporated Marin that are eligible to use SB 9.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) The SB9 mapping tool is available for public use on Marin County’s website. 

Program 5b: Fair Housing Fact Sheets 

• Objective: Develop a fair housing factsheet to be included in the SB 9 application packet.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) See program 4h.

Program 5c: Coastal Zone 

• Objective: Conduct feasibility of applying SB 9 within the coastal zone.
• Due Date: December 2024
• Status: (Complete) Current Planning Staff analyzed the feasibility of SB9 in the Coastal Zone and produced a memo that found that it renders parcels in the Coastal Zone ineligible for several reasons including conflicts between the Coastal Commission process and the SB9 process.

Program 5d: Outreach Materials

• Objective: Develop outreach material to educate the community regarding SB 9 opportunities, particularly in higher resource neighborhoods. Goal is to achieve 40 SB 9 permits over eight years.
• Due Date: December 2024
• Status: (Complete; Ongoing) The Marin County website has SB9 overview and process documents available for the public. We have had 3 completed applications in total for the 6th cycle Housing Element. 

Program 6: Efficient Use of Multi-Unit Land

Program 6a: Development Code 

• Objective: Amend the Development Code to: establish minimum densities for multi-unit and mixed-use zones, and specify the rounding up to the whole number in calculating density.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) As part of the Housing Element Update, changes were made to the Countywide Plan that removed policies that mandated the lowest end of the density range. In June 2024 the Board of Supervisors approved changes to the Development Code to reflect the changes in the Countywide Plan and eliminate the low end of the density range restriction policies, including rounding up to the whole number in calculating density. 

Program 6b: Density 

• Objective: Explore the development of target density for each zone, if appropriate, and create a residential combining district that allows for form-based objective development standards.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete): A density designation and form based code combining district was included as part of the Housing Overlay Designation (HOD) Development Code Amendments approved by the Board of Supervisors in January 2023. 

Program 6c: Outreach 

• Objective: Annual outreach to developers and property owners to promote multi-unit housing opportunities, with the goal of creating 800 units in multi-unit housing.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) Staff meet with developers and property owners on a regular basis. 

Program 7: Religious and Institutional Facility Housing Overlay

Program 7a: Outreach 

• Objective: Conduct outreach to religious and institutional facilities regarding the Overlay opportunity.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) Staff conducted outreach to the Marin Interfaith Council and met with developers and land trusts. 

Program 7b: Religious and Institutional Facility Housing Overlay

• Objective: Establish a Religious and Institutional Facility Housing Overlay. The goal is to create 150 affordable units.
• Due Date: December 2024
• Status: (Complete) Senate Bill 4 (SB4) provides multiple incentives for religious and institutional property owners to build more housing. Additionally, religious, and institutional sites are in the Housing Overlay Designation (HOD). For example, over 300 units are planned for a former Seminary in unincorporated County. 

Program 8: Development Code Amendments

• Objective: Amend the Development Code and Title 24 to facilitate a variety of housing types, especially for special needs populations.
  • Residential Use in Mixed-Use Development: - The County allows residential uses on the upper floors and residential units are limited between 25 and 29 percent of the floor area. Amend the Development Code to allow at least 50 percent of the floor area as residential use.
  • Height Limit: The 30-foot height limit is potentially constraining to achieving a density of 30 units per acre. Amend the Development Code to increase the height limit to 45 feet.
  • Accessory Dwelling Units: Currently, the County’s ordinance does not allow an ADU to be sold or otherwise conveyed separately from the primary dwelling unit. However, State law makes an exception if the property is owned by a nonprofit organization. The County will amend the ADU regulations to be consistent with State law.
  • Agricultural Worker and Employee Housing: The County’s provisions for agricultural worker housing is not consistent with the State Employee Housing Act. Furthermore, the Development Code does not contain provisions for employee housing. Pursuant to the Employee Housing Act, any housing for six or fewer employees (in any industry) should be permitted as single-unit residential use. The County will amend agricultural worker provisions in the Development Code to be consistent with State law.
  • Residential Care Facilities: The County permits residential care facilities for six or fewer persons in all residential zones. For residential care facilities for seven or more persons, a conditional use permit is required. The County will revise the Development Code to permit or conditionally permit large residential care facilities in all zones that permit residential uses, as similar uses in the same zone, and to ensure the required conditions for large facilities are objective and provide certainty in outcomes.
  • Transitional and Supportive Housing: Pursuant to State law, transitional and supportive housing is to be considered a residential use to be similarly permitted as similar uses in the same zone. Currently, transitional and supportive housing is not specifically identified in the Coastal Zone in areas where residential uses are permitted or conditionally permitted. The Development Code will be amended to address the provision of transitional and supportive housing in the Coastal Zone.
  • Pursuant to State law (Government Code Section 65650 et seq.), supportive housing developments of 50 units or fewer that meet certain requirements must be permitted by right in zones where mixed-use and multi-unit development is permitted. Additionally, parking requirements are prohibited for supportive housing developments within one half mile of a transit stop. The County will amend Title 24 of the Municipal Code to address the parking requirements to comply with State law (see Program 9).
  • Emergency Shelters: Government Code Section 65583 requires that parking standards for emergency shelters be established based on the number of employees only and that the separation requirement between two shelters be a maximum of 300 feet. The County Development Code and Title 24 will be revised to comply with this provision.
  • Low Barrier Navigation Center (LBNC): Government Code section 65660 et seq. requires that LBNCs be permitted by right in mixed-use and nonresidential zones that permit multi-unit housing. The Development Code will be amended to include provisions for LBNC.
  • Density Bonus: The County adopted an ordinance in 2021 that was consistent with state density bonus law at that time. However, since then, there have been some additional statutory changes. The Development Code will be amended to address all recent changes to the State Density Bonus law.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (In Progress) The concepts associated with residential use in mixed-use development, height limits, Accessory Dwelling Units, and density bonus have been updated in the Development Code in December 2023. Agricultural Worker and Employee Housing, Residential Care Facilities, Transitional and Supportive Housing, Emergency Shelters, and Low Barrier Navigation Centers are accommodated in the Development Code, however, they must be updated in the Local Coastal Plan. These changes will go to the Coastal Commission to be incorporated as part of the Local Coastal Plan. 

Program 9: Parking Standards

• Objective: Amend the Development Code and Title 24 to reduce parking requirements for multi-unit housing and to revise parking requirements for supportive housing meeting certain criteria and emergency shelters.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (In Progress) Parking requirements have been reduced and brought into compliance in the Form Based Code. DPW staff will update Title 24 in coordination with program 10.

Program 10: Objective Development Standards for Off-Site Improvements

• Objective: Establish objective development standards for off-site improvements.
• Due Date: December 2025
• Status: (In Progress) A multi-departmental team developed the project scope and created an RFP. The project contract and scope is going to the Board of Supervisors in early 2026.

Program 11: Water and Sewer Availability

Program 11a: Sustainability 

• Objective: Promote sustainable strategies, such as water conservation and recycling.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) 

Program 11b: Funding 

• Objective: Annually, pursue funding for infrastructure improvements to facilitate affordable housing development.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) 

Program 11c: Assessment

• Objective: Collaborate with water service providers to conduct a strategic water supply assessment.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) See program 11e. 

Program 11d: Communication with Water/Sewer Districts

• Objective: Upon adoption of the Housing Element, submit it to all water and sewer districts and notify all water and sewer districts of the requirement to prioritize water allocation for new affordable housing development.
• Due Date: March 2023
• Status: (Complete) Upon certification of the Housing Element, staff submitted the document to all water and sewer districts and notified them of this requirement. 

Program 11e: Drought Plan

• Objective: Issue RFP for Drought and Water Storage Risk Mitigation Plan.
• Due Date: December 2025
• Status: (Complete) The Final Report for the Marin County Drought Resilience Plan was submitted to the County of Marin on December 22, 2025.

Program 12: Septic for Multi-Unit Housing

Program 12a: Study

• Objective: Initiate study to identify alternative approaches to sewage disposal.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (Complete) A study was done as part of the Senate Bill 2 (SB2) grant work and reviewed by staff. Staff allow alternative septic designs on a case by case basis. 

Program 12b: Methodology

• Objective: Upon completion of study, update the County's methodology for calculating septic capacity.
• Due Date: December 2023
• Status: (In progress) EHS staff are updating regulations because of findings of the study described above in Program 12a. Staff have submitted changes that would eliminate the requirement of dual installation to the Regional Board. Once that is approved, other aspects will be updated, including wastewater sizing reduction credits for larger systems. Additionally, EHS is now allowing all approved NSF pretreatment devices. 

Program 12c: Standards

• Objective: Develop standards for multi-unit development in septic areas.
• Due Date: December 2024
• Status: (In Progress) A study was done as part of the Senate Bill 2 (SB2) grant work, see above. Additionally, the County is soliciting proposals from a qualified consultant to conduct a comprehensive evaluation and update of the County’s septic systems regulations. The responses to the proposals are due in March 2025. 

Program 12d: Septic for Multi-Unit Housing: Funding for Infrastructure

• Objective: Annually, pursue funding for infrastructure improvements to facilitate affordable housing development.
• Due Date: Ongoing
• Status: (Ongoing) Housing and grants Division staff review state, federal and local grant opportunities on a regular basis.