The Marin County Board of Supervisors on April 15 approved a staff recommendation to invest up to $100,000 per unit from the county’s housing trust in Habitat for Humanity’s Redwood Boulevard homeownership project in Novato.

The project will build 80 homes; staff said 60 will be deed‑restricted for lower‑income households and 20 for moderate‑income households. County officials said the development will create homeownership opportunities in a county where the median home price exceeds $1.5 million; the restricted sales prices for the affordable units were described in staff materials as roughly $400,000–$600,000 depending on unit size and subsidy.

Lily Thomas of the Community Development Agency told the board the proposal fits county funding priorities — permanent affordability, larger family units (three‑ and four‑bedrooms), and leveraging other sources, including city fee waivers, state funding and private philanthropy. Habitat representatives said many of the low‑income units will carry 0% interest and no‑down‑payment terms at initial sale and that owners receive retained equity when they sell, allowing households to build wealth and re‑enter homeownership.

Several affordable‑housing advocates spoke in favor during public comment and praised the model’s ownership and equity components. Councilmember Stephanie Andre of Larkspur, appearing as a member of a local ad hoc group that reviewed Serenity (a separate regional project discussed in public comment earlier), cautioned that capitalization and operator oversight matter; Habitat and county staff said the agency and funders will continue to monitor affordability requirements and management of the covenant.

The board voted to approve the housing trust loan at the $100,000 per unit threshold set in county policy and asked staff to continue ensuring project readiness and financial sustainability before releasing funds. Supervisors cited the project’s combination of permanently restricted ownership units, family‑sized housing and multiple funding partners as key reasons for support.