The Marin County Board of Supervisors is on the brink of declaring a "shelter crisis" at tomorrow's meeting, an action that could significantly expedite the creation of emergency housing. This crisis declaration, slated to last three years, will give the green light to projects on County property to leap over the hurdles of local zoning laws and environmental assessments.
Passing under the shadow of local permitting rules and state-level standards for housing and zoning, during this crisis period, shelters popping up on County-owned or leased land will have a straighter path forward. Sarah Jones, the Community Development Agency director for Marin County, laid out the blueprint in a simple phrase, as per Marin County, "The goal is and always will be permanent housing." Marin County is threading the needle of necessity, buoying those without a roof over their heads with quick, albeit impermanent solutions yet keeping an eye on that horizon where 'temporary' gives way to 'forever home.'
According to a press release on the county's website, no funds are currently tied to this crisis declaration for building temporary shelters, and its scope is limited only to the unincorporated swathes of Marin. Still, the potential for the private property owners to lawfully tack on emergency lodging that's both safe and sans foundation could be ground-breaking.
Marin's housing and economic crises are not lost on local officials, exacerbated by the fallout of Point Reyes National Seashore's closure of ranching operations. "I am deeply concerned about the impact of the Point Reyes National Seashore decision on our schools, workforce, housing and local economy," District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who represents West Marin, emphasized the gravity of the situation cited by Marin County.
