One Point of View
Dwayne Hunn, Community
contributor
Often
Individuals claim to be for “pro-affordable” housing but against the density of
every proposed development. They claim that density causes traffic. Sometimes
that’s what I read between the lines of the “pro-affordable
housing” Coastal Post.
Affordable housing in the County
is a joke. it IS an endangered specie. There isn’t much of it now, and there will be less in the future...
Affordable housing does not ‘result as a byproduct of housing construction. It
certainly hasn't to date. It must be a separate goal with, clear, creative and unusual strategies to make it
achievable.
(1-16-89 Costal Post editorial)
Without
widespread support successful strategies often take money. In Mann widespread
support for affordable housing is usually only verbalized. Where support counts
the most in the production of affordable housing is before city councils. The
support that appears too often before City Councils is that of NIMBYS
(Not-in-My-Back-Yard).
Let's
take an example of what NIMBYs do to projects throughout the county.
Years
ago a not-so-attractive average acre of land in Marin sold for $100,000. That land was zoned for 17 units
per acre. Before that builder turned one shovel of dirt, the price of each of
those units was 17 units divided into his $100,000 land cost, or $5,900.
Under
that zoning this for-profit builder would build 2 units of housing affordable
to households who earn $35,000 or less, which was direly needed by
those who commuted through this community
searching for affordable shelter. By just spreading his land cost to
the remaining 15 units his per unit land recovery cost only went to $6,600.
What
typically happens to projects like this? The NIMBYS ‘fight to reduce it to 5 units per acre. When they are
successful, Which Is often, the cost of each unit Jumps to $2O,000, before a
shovel of earth is turned.
Now
just because the builder's land cost has been increased 300% does not mean that
his infrastructure costs like sewers, streets, utilities, and fees have been
reduced by anything. Usually the NIMBYs have drawn out the approval
process for a year, two or more and
this has inflated construction and
financing costs.
Now
we all know that in good times in healthy economic markets the big car
companies feel safer making profits by selling fewer big cars rather than many
small ones. Marin is a healthy economic market because a lot of people
enjoying good economic times desire to
live here.
Understanding
the economic principles of the auto market, the Law of Supply & Demand, and
the fact that 3 out of 5 of his fellow builder/developers are out of the
business in 7 years, is it so difficult to understand why he builds a lavish
home? principles of the auto market, the Law of. Supply ‘& Demand, an4 the
fact that 3 out of 5 of his fellow builder/developers are put of the business
In 7 years, it isn't-so difficult to understand why he builds a lavish home?
Now the numbers used as examples above happen over and over. The
numbers were also happening just up the road in Marin. Two Novato council
members supported by a petition carriers want to reduce what was once 3550
residential units to 1000 or less on 215 residential acres where per acre cost
was about $102,000.
Very
few people have a backyard at Hamilton Field. At Hamilton Field, Berg, Revoir,
and Howard try to address community housing, traffic, and employment concerns
in an integrated mixed-use development on blighted, stagnant property, on a
railroad line, near the Bay, far from a freeway from which you can't even see
their project.
For
NIMBYs backyards spread a long way. NIMBY's must take a great deal of credit
for FCFC--Freeway Congestion For Commuters
Dwayne
Hunn works on affordable housing projects as Assistant Executive Director of
Novato Ecumenical Housing.)