Body of News Release
Marin County, CA – A lawsuit filed earlier this year challenging the County of Marin’s approval of the Marinwood Plaza affordable housing development has been voluntarily dismissed.
Earlier this month, a petitioner withdrew the case in Marin County Superior Court, ending litigation that had initially sought to block the 125-unit affordable housing development in unincorporated San Rafael from moving forward, and that later sought to prevent the County from approving any 100% affordable housing project.
The case, Marinwood Coalition Against Segregation v. County of Marin, was originally filed in January 2025. The petition alleged that County code does not allow the approval of projects with more than 20% affordable units and attempted to overturn the Supervisors’ December 2024 approval of the 100% affordable project. After amending the filing earlier this year, the petitioners ultimately chose to dismiss the case.
“This lawsuit was an attempt to stop the creation of affordable housing in unincorporated Marin,” said Board of Supervisors President Mary Sackett, whose District 1 includes Marinwood. “I’m pleased to see that it has been dismissed by the parties who brought the lawsuit.”
The Marinwood Plaza development will provide affordable housing to families and individuals who are considered low-income. In Marin, that equates to a household of three making between $52,890 and $123,410 annually. Housing costs should generally not exceed 30% of a household’s gross income to be considered affordable. The proposed development would include 125 deed-restricted, affordable apartments — ranging from one- to three-bedroom units — as well as preservation of the existing Marinwood Market grocery store and the addition of a small café space.
Separately, the Board approved an additional loan of $1.25 million for the project from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund at its August 26 meeting. This follows a $6.25 million loan awarded in December 2024, bringing the County’s total loan commitment to $7.5 million, consistent with Housing Trust Fund guidelines. The additional funding will help offset financing challenges caused by reduced federal tax-credits, rising interest rates, and unmet philanthropic contributions. With an overall project cost of about $80 million, the County’s contribution keeps the development financially competitive for critical state resources.
For years, the Board has prioritized actions that help create and preserve affordable housing in response to community surveys and other feedback about Marin’s high cost of living, especially for housing affordable to our local workforce and older adults. The proposed Marinwood development would help address a chronic shortage of affordable units in Marin, which has some of the highest housing prices and rents in the country. With multi-family, affordable workforce housing at crisis levels and few parcels on which to build new homes, Marin is increasingly reliant on workers who drive to Marin jobs from other counties, which increases greenhouse gas emissions and traffic, while decreasing quality of life for all.
Local jobs that could fit into required household income categories for this project include a para-educator at the Marin County Office of Education, a teacher at Miller Creek Middle School, or a Marin County emergency dispatcher.
Public engagement on the Marinwood Plaza plans has been extensive, including neighborhood meetings, an informational open house, a public hearing for the December 2024 Housing Trust Fund contribution, and requests for emailed feedback. Learn more about the project on the CDA Major Housing Projects website.