Vicki Larson: Its time to get creative about what affordable housing means – Marin Independent Journal

Theres a house in the neighborhood thats for sale, a three-bedroom, three-bath house that, by todays standards, isnt all that big under 2,000-square feet. Its listed at $1.8 million but everyone knows it will sell for more than $2 million.

A family raised their four children there and now that they are long grown and flown, a three-bedroom, three-bath house is a lot for a one person, a widow for the past decade, and a lot to keep up. So, shes moved.

Of course, the people flocking to the open houses are young families or young families-to-be, who one day will be empty-nesters and perhaps widowed, and stuck with a three-bedroom, three-bath house that will be too much for them.

Which reminds me of a comment someone made under a column of mine from a few weeks ago, on how being a woman in Marin is harder now than ever before.

This is the situation that most boomers find themselves in now. They painted themselves into this corner by protesting any new housing in this county over the pasty forty years Where I live in Marin there are all of these big 3-4-5 bedroom homes that have 1-2 old people living in them just clinging to their prop 13 lottery tickets, its such a waste of space. Hopefully things get better once this generation passes on, but I doubt it.

Well, given that the young families or young families-to-be snapping up multi-million-dollar homes in Marin and who one day will also be empty-nesters and perhaps widowed, and stuck with a three-bedroom, three-bath house that will be too much for them, I dont have much hope for things getting better.

Im a boomer and I have always been for building new housing in the county. But and this is a big but all kinds of housing. More three-, four- and five-bedroom homes in excess of 2,000-square feet? No, we dont need more of those houses.

What we need is creative housing made for how people live today.

Fewer people are getting married, fewer people are having children, and of those having children, many, nearly 43%, are one-child families, a number thats expected to continue rising. In 2030, there will be more people over the age of 65 than under for the first time in history. More than 50% of American adults are single in 1950, it was a mere 22%. There are about 11 million single-parent families, most overwhelmingly headed by single moms, who earn less than men do.

You bet seniors, singles and single parents dont need to have huge homes. But where is housing for them? Where are cozy houses of about 1,000-square feet or less, perfect for one or two people? Not condominiums paying for homeowner association fees on top of a mortgage makes condos, usually the most affordable housing to buy in Marin, unaffordable to many.

A handful of one-bedroom, one-bath houses of under 700-square feet often converted garages or ADUs exist in Marin. Some are in my neighborhood. Even they are valued at astronomical amounts, close to $1 million.

A friend and I were talking about this recently. Both single women, wed happily move to a one- or two-bedroom house if we could. But there just arent that many around here that actually are affordable, and so were stuck.

Theres been a lot of pushback on SB 9 and 10, the new laws that allow multiple units to be built on the same footprint as a single-family home. Everyone is so worried about how that will change the character of a neighborhood that they cant even see how it could actually enhance a neighborhood.

Imagine a couple buys a duplex and rents out the second unit, lessening their financial load. Then they become parents and the now-family of four occupies both floors as a single-family home because the way the duplex is built makes it easy for them to do so. Then their kids grow up, and theyre empty nesters. Now they can easily and cheaply convert their single-family home back into a duplex, with one unit back as a rental, or for a caregiver, or for a family member, perhaps their adult children, offering closeness but privacy in a multigeneration home.

It could just as easily be two single moms buying a duplex together, creating a chosen family situation where they help each other with childcare. It could just as easily be a single person who could benefit from creating rental income.

At least one Philadelphia company, Module, is thinking along those lines, inspired by the innovative Chilean architect Alejandro Aravenas design for incremental, affordable housing.

The housing we build ignores the fact that many people are single, either by choice or by chance, or who are childfree couples, or are at an age where they dont need or want a huge house. There is scant housing in Marin and elsewhere for people like them like me.

Building affordable housing? Yes please. But all kinds of affordable housing. Its time.

Vicki Larsons So It Goes opinion column runs every other week. Contact her at vlarson@marinij.com and follow her on Twitter atOMG Chronicles

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Vicki Larson: Its time to get creative about what affordable housing means - Marin Independent Journal