What Our Readers Say
Affordable housing
I would like to applaud the
people and work of Novato Ecumenical Housing. Five years ago, when we were
first married, my wife and I resigned ourselves to the fact that owning our own
home in Marin County would probably never be possible, and we were not going to
kill ourselves trying to do so.
Because of NEH’s Below
Market Rate program and the providence of God, we now reside in our own fine
home at Skylark Meadows in Ignacio. We have reasonable payments end room to
grow, and we didn’t have to kill ourselves trying.
Being in the ministry here in Marin
County, I see the tremendous ongoing need for affordable housing for young
families. What I have been witnessing is an ongoing exodus of many of these
young families to the more affordable housing of Sonoma and other areas. Many
of these people (mostly skilled labor and professionals) continue to work here
in this county or perhaps in San Francisco.
They are commuting greater
distances to further add to the problems of our already clogged 101. Outside of
more funding for excellent programs such as NEH, this phenomenon is likely to
continue.
If more of these families
can be helped as we have been helped, I believe that all of us in this county
will benefit. It is one of NEH’s goals to provide affordable housing closer to
where people are actually working to help lessen the commuter crunch.
Pastor W. Paul Bemis &
Robin L. Bemis
San Rafael