Marin  Independent Journal  Thursday, July 31, 1986

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