The community opposed its own housing.

Background

Marin City: a housing burden unlike any other

Marin City is a majority-Black unincorporated community of approximately 3,000 residents. It already holds 44% of Marin County's entire inventory of subsidized affordable housing on just 0.1% of the county's land. Before EAH Housing filed, this concentration was a documented, politically charged reality.

Proposal

EAH Housing files for 74-unit 100% affordable at 825 Drake Ave

EAH Housing, a well-regarded nonprofit developer, proposes 74 units of 100% affordable housing at 825 Drake Avenue — a single-site consolidation designed to maximize efficiency and project viability. All units income-restricted.

Opposition Emerges

Black residents oppose — on equity grounds

Opposition does not come from wealthy neighboring jurisdictions. It comes from within the Black community of Marin City. Residents argue that adding another large affordable project on the same patch of land deepens historic segregation — concentrating poverty in the one community that never had the political power to say no.

Developer Misstep

EAH executive calls residents "communists"

In a documented exchange at a public meeting, an EAH Housing executive describes opposing residents as "communists." The comment, captured in public record, becomes a flashpoint — transforming policy opposition into personal grievance and substantially widening the coalition against the project.

Outcome

Single site split into 42 + 32 units across two locations

Facing sustained opposition and a politically untenable single-site proposal, EAH restructures. The 74-unit project is split into a 42-unit building and a 32-unit building at two separate sites. Both ultimately move toward approval — but the original vision, timeline, and economics are fundamentally altered.