Marin County Supervisors Approve Fair Housing Ordinance Amendment

MARIN COUNTY, CA — The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday amended a county fair housing ordinance in an effort to increase affordable rental housing.

The ordinance that was adopted on Nov. 8 expanded housing choices for residents with third-party housing vouchers, including families, seniors, veterans and disabled individuals.

The ordinance, which applies to unincorporated parts of the county, required housing providers to consider those residents using the same standards as prospective tenants without vouchers.

However, it exempted owner-occupied structures with less than three dwelling units and structures where the owner and tenant had either a common bathroom or kitchen facility. The board voted Tuesday to remove that
exemption from the ordinance.

Removal of the exemption is intended to prevent a discriminatory rental environment by preventing property owners from advertising their preferences on the basis of a person's source of income, according to the
county's Community Development Agency report to the supervisors.

Some landlords want to avoid the administrative burden associated with the voucher program, and others see voucher holders as undesirable tenants and fear other tenants would object to them as neighbors, according
to the Community Development Agency.

Marin County's fair housing ordinance does not prevent or hinder property owners and landlords from screening and accepting tenants based on total income, credit score, rental history or references, according to the Community Development Agency.

— By Bay City News Service / Image via Shutterstock