Maintain state support for affordable home building – Marin Independent Journal

New homeowner Abel Chor says a prayer as Maureen Sedonaen of Habitat for Humanity looks on during a celebration as Habitat for Humanity welcomed 10 families into their new homes at Mount Burdell Place in Novato, Calif., on Saturday, July 29, 2017. (Sherry LaVars/Special to Marin Independent Journal)

It all starts with home. Families who own homes have better health, live longer, their children do better in school, and they are more involved in their community. The list of benefits is endless, and yet homeownership has become increasingly out of reach for far too many Bay Area families.

In California, one in five families now spends more than half of their salary on housing. For low-income households, this means they have to choose between paying for food, medicine, or utility bills and having a roof over their heads. In the Bay Area, the situation is even more acute, meaning teachers, nurses, and other essential workers can no longer afford to own their own home.

Addressing the growing housing crisis requires partnership, creativity and a lot of perseverance. We all need to come together for a common goal. The state plays a critical role in shaping the policies, programs and funding that directly impact local families in Marin. One state program stands out for its unique ability to promote affordable homeownership. CalHome is the only state program that provides funding to build affordable homes that people can buy instead of rent.

Compared to renting, homeownership is proven to create lasting economic stability, support families, and strengthen communities. U.S. homeowners have a median net worth that is 400% higher than renters with similar demographics and income. Children of homeowners are more likely to graduate from high school and college than children from renter households with the same income level. Homeownership increases civic engagement, increases the local tax base, and reduces dependence on long-term public assistance.

In January, we learned that Governor Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal calls for a clawback of $152.5 million in funds previously allocated to the CalHome program. CalHome is widely used by nonprofit developers, including Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco, to support new home construction and home preservation.

Not only does the budget revision cut budgeted funding for CalHome by 100%, it also disproportionately targets owner-occupied, equity-building housing for low-income people compared to state rental housing and homeless programs. If CalHome is cut from the budget, thousands of affordable homes across the state will not be built—at a time when we need affordable homeownership more than ever.

What does this mean for Marin County? Just this year, CalHome awarded Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco a $10 million grant to create and preserve affordable homeownership for local families. It was the largest grant in our nonprofit’s history. In Marin, $7.5 million of the grant will be used to build the state’s largest 100% affordable homeownership community with 80 homes in Novato. This project would not be possible without CalHome.

The network of 33 Habitat for Humanity members from 42 California counties has been advocating hard for CalHome – sending letters, posting on social media, and meeting directly with our legislators in Sacramento.