March 16, 2026
San Rafael City Council
Sent via email: [email protected]
RE: Public Hearing 3.B on Annual Progress Report
Dear City Council members,
I am writing on behalf of Call Marin Home (formerly Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative). Call Marin Home is a coalition of organizations in Marin dedicated to improving housing affordability in Marin. We would like to share comments on the 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report (APR).
This 2025 Annual Progress Report shows that San Rafael has permitted 33 units, bringing the total to 209. This means there are 3,011 units remaining that are needed to meet RHNA requirements. Despite the many project proposals in San Rafael, it is far behind.
Due to San Rafael’s forward-looking Downtown Precise plans, there are almost 3,000 units that have been proposed or approved in San Rafael. If 100% of these projects were permitted this cycle, San Rafael would likely meet its RHNA goals. However, these units include the 2nd phase of the Northgate project and several projects that now look unlikely to move forward. The true pipeline in San Rafael is closer to 2,000. Even so, San Rafael can still meet its goals, provided that it (1) maintains its current rate of project proposals and (2) works to ensure that approved projects move forward in the process and obtain building permits.
We sometimes hear that the process of obtaining permits relies solely on the developer, and that the jurisdiction doesn’t have control after a project is approved. However, we have also heard many stories of unexpected fees being assessed, multiple revisions of plans required for 2 approvals, slow turn-around times and an unreliable process. These delays and revisions cost money and make feasible projects become infeasible. We urge San Rafael to study the causes of delays and to resolve to make the necessary fixes to move them forward. Jurisdictions with strong track records of building housing see projects from the approval to the permit stage in just 1-2 months. It can take years in San Rafael. If San Rafael is truly serious about meeting its housing goals, it needs to start addressing these issues.
We are also deeply concerned at San Rafael’s latest discussions to strengthen requirements for projects to get approved. San Rafael has been looking at ways to prohibit variations from the Precise plan and to increase the percentage of inclusionary units from 10% to 20%. As a reminder, San Rafael lowered the inclusionary percentage to 10% because it did not receive project proposals when the percentage was at 20%. Given the extremely low rate that projects are moving from approved to permitted, we believe that staff time is better spent on the permitting process.
The broad-based upzoning of the Downtown Precise Plan should be the standard for Marin.
However, it is only effective if the projects approved under the Plan get permits and get built.
We encourage San Rafael to do all in its power to move these projects forward.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Silva
Executive Director
Call Marin Home