PG&E Land Donation in Marin County to Become State's Largest Affordable Homeownership Development

By Megan McFarland

PG&E has announced that the company has officially donated 13.6 acres of surplus land in Novato to Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. Once complete, this project will be the largest affordable homeownership development in California (pictured: a rendering of the project).

Featuring 80-homes set amongst parks and courtyards, 10 acres of open space, communal areas, dog parks, trails and more, the project will provide much-needed housing for more than 300 low- and moderate-income individuals.

A team under Andy Williams, PG&E’s vice president of Shared Services, first started working on a plan for the surplus land back in 2008. “The property was once intended for a PG&E service center but over the years the community’s needs changed and the site sat undeveloped,” explained Williams.

Several attempts to sell the property were unsuccessful and in 2018, PG&E and Habitat Greater San Francisco reached an agreement to begin the process of transferring the property for 100 percent affordable housing. PG&E has been a long-term supporter of Habitat Greater San Francisco, with more than 270 PG&E volunteers dedicating over 300 hours on Habitat builds since 2015.

“Tenacious is the perfect virtue to describe all that this team has done to bring this donation to fruition. Their hard work and dedication over nearly a 10-year period will make the dream of homeownership a reality for so many families,” said Williams.

The project is an important part of Novato’s efforts to bring more affordable housing to the region. Habitat Redwood Boulevard will make up 12 percent of the state-mandated low-income homes and 12 percent of the moderate-income homes required of the city by 2031.

The project could not come at a better time as the Bay Area continues to experience a worsening housing crisis. The median home price in Marin County is $1.59 million, nearly 89 percent more than the median home price in the rest of California. In Novato, housing expenses exceed the national average by 120 percent. The high cost of housing coupled with limited housing stock mean the majority of Marin’s workforce now live outside county lines and drive farther on average than any other workforce in the Bay Area. The long commutes are exacerbating Marin’s already congested freeways resulting in longer commutes for everyone.

PG&E generously donated the land, the City unanimously approved the project, the State’s CalHome program awarded $7.5M – the largest State grant in Habitat Greater San Francisco history — public and private donors supported the entitlement process and all along the way there was no public opposition.

“This land donation from PG&E represents a lot of hard work and creativity from our coworkers at PG&E and partners at Habitat for Humanity," said Dave Canny, vice president for PG&E’s North Coast Region. “As the hometown utility for our communities in the North Coast, we are fortunate to be able to contribute in this meaningful way and look forward to the future success of this important Habitat for Humanity development that will directly benefit 80 families and the entire community.” 

Habitat Greater San Francisco is currently securing final permits for the project and construction is expected to begin later this year. A groundbreaking will be held later this summer.

Williams, who has volunteered on Habitat for Humanity projects before, said building a home with the future homeowner is an incredibly personal experience. He plans to join other PG&E coworkers to volunteer on the Novato build, and noted that it will be particularly special to work side-by-side with future Novato residents to build their new homes on property that once belonged to PG&E. 

About the homes

• Located at 8161 Redwood Boulevard, Novato, Calif.
• 23 residential buildings ranging from one to six homes
• 19 two-bedroom, 37 three-bedroom and 24 four-bedroom homes
• One 2,100-square foot commercial building
• 10 acres of open space
• Dog areas, courtyards, play areas, community garden, small amphitheater and more
• Trail network connecting to Olompali State Park
• Architect: Dorman Associates, Mill Valley

For more information on supporting Habitat’s efforts to bring affordable homeownership to Novato, visit www.habitatgsf.org.