The State of California asks all local jurisdictions to show that we have planned for the housing needs in our local area. These needs are particularly critical for our low and very low-income residents. The state requires that our long-term plan include a section called the "Housing Element" to address these local housing needs.
We include the Housing Element plan inside the Countywide Plan. The Countywide plan captures all elements of our vision for Marin County.
The State of California has final approval authority over how we plan to meet housing needs. The State also requires that we update our Housing Element every eight years. Our current Housing Element plan addresses years 2023-2031.
The Marin County Board of Supervisors approved the 2023-2031 Marin County Housing Element on January 24, 2023. The State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) approved our Housing Element plan on June 19, 2023.
Components and implementation
- 2023-2031 Marin County Housing Element Find our latest Housing Element which includes a needs assessment and action plan to address these needs.
- Our RHNA and progress Learn more about our Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals and our progress.
- Housing sites The Housing Element includes an inventory of sites where housing could be proposed.
- Programs status Learn about the implementation status of Housing Element programs from the 2023-2031 cycle.
- Annual progress reports The Annual Progress Report shows housing development in each calendar year.
Frequently asked questions
According to State housing element legislation, all local governments must adopt land use plans and regulations that provide opportunities for, and do not unduly constrain, housing development. Because housing availability is a critical issue with statewide implications, and most housing decisions occur at the local level, State law requires housing elements to be updated on a regular cycle (the timeframe for the next Housing Element includes planning periods 2022-2030). The State also mandates that housing elements, unlike other elements of the general plan, be reviewed and certified by the State.
Marin’s housing costs have become increasingly prohibitive for the community, and the opportunity for available housing, especially affordable housing, is increasingly tight. According to the 2020 Marin County Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, to afford the average apartment in Marin according to industry standards (housing costs not exceeding 30% of one’s income), a household should earn an annual income of about $130,000. About 40% of renters in unincorporated Marin spent in excess of 30% of their income on rent and are considered “rent-burdened”. Additionally, Marin’s vacancy rates are amongst the lowest in the Bay Area.
The barriers to housing in Marin are compounded even further for people of color. In 2019, Marin County was determined to be the number one most racially disparate county in the entire State of California according to the Advancement Project, across seven metrics: crime and justice, democracy, economic opportunity, health access, healthy built environment, housing and education.
The number of housing units each city and county must plan for is determined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (State HCD) every eight years, referred to as housing ‘cycles.’ In the upcoming 6th cycle, unincorporated Marin is currently expected to plan for a minimum of 3,569 housing units. Unincorporated Marins’ unit goal must include the following breakdown at each income level:
- Very low-income: 1,100
- Low-income: 634
- Moderate-income: 512
- Above moderate-income: 1,323
The State of California determines the number of homes that are needed for the Bay Area, consistent with state law. The Association of Bay Area Governments then distributes a share to each local government in the nine Bay Areas counties. Each jurisdiction is assigned a portion of the regional need at various income levels based on factors such as future population, access to jobs and other factors. This assignment is known as the Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA), and is intended to promote the following objectives:
- Increase the housing supply and the mix of housing types in an equitable manner
- Promote infill development that encourages alternatives to solo driving and reduces greenhouse gas emissions
- Balance jobs and housing
- Discourage housing development patterns that segment communities
- Affirmatively further fair housing
Each jurisdiction must ensure there is enough land with appropriate zoning to accommodate its RHNA allocation in its Housing Element.
Use the County’s jurisdiction look-up tool to determine if your address is located in the unincorporated area of the County, or in one of the cities and towns.
Yes, all Marin jurisdictions have prepared a Housing Element update. You can find each jurisdiction’s Planning Department page, where information about long-range planning initiatives like the Housing Element are stored:
Providing opportunities for more affordable housing is important. Purchasing or renting a home is becoming more and more out of reach for too many people. A variety of housing types is essential to provide housing options for those young and old, for families with lower and higher incomes, as well as to meet the needs of large and small families and persons with disabilities.
A mix of housing opportunities means, among other things, that young adults moving into the housing market can stay in the cities they grew up in; workers like teachers, firefighters, health care workers and essential workers can find homes near their jobs; and older adults have more options for retirement and can stay in the communities they know.
In Marin, a household of four earning $149,300 or less in 2024 is considered low-income.