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It's time for a change on the Marin Housing Commission

The Board of Supervisors will be appointing the two tenant commissioners to the Housing Commission on August 24. For more than a decade, they have reappointed the same two men, Rob Simon and Homer Hall, every two years. (Two years ago, 35 candidates applied; the supervisors did not even interview one.) While both men have served diligently, neither is a tenant in a public housing development and both are over 65.

It’s time for that to change. And it will ONLY change if the Supervisors hear from enough of us.

You can help them make the right decision. We need you to speak out during open time at the Board of Supervisors’ meeting this Tuesday, August 17, at 9 am.

Here are some talking points:

* Golden Gate Village is the largest public housing development in the county and the only one for families. By rights, it should be represented on the Commission.

* We expect “tenant commissioners” to represent tenants. Both incumbents live in private, Section 8 residences; neither lives in a tenant community.

* Members of the Commission determine policy regarding public housing. The two open seats will hold influence over the controversial planned redevelopment by the Marin Housing Authority of Golden Gate Village. We need true public housing advocates on the Commission to help keep the for-profit, New Jersey-based developer, Michaels, out.

* The Golden Gate Village Resident Council hopes the supervisors will give Golden Gate Village a voice during the upcoming term by selecting at least one public housing tenant to serve on the commission. To this end, they endorse Sarah Canson, a Golden Gate Village resident, and Cathy Cortez of Bradley House in Tiburon.

Please add your support to theirs.

Here are the details for the Board of Supervisors’ meeting, Tuesday, August 17:

Time: 9 am (NOTE: Open time is only at the beginning of the meeting. Please be on time so you can get on the list of speakers.)

How to participate via Zoom:

Visit www.zoom.us/join[External]

Meeting ID: 947 4251 8384

Password: 352533

Use the "Raise Hand" button to inform the moderator that you would like to comment.

Let the supervisors know: We won’t settle for the status quo!