Empty Novato lot could be site for largest affordable home community in Marin County

As cities across California struggle to meet state housing goals, Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco is moving forward with plans to build what would become the largest affordable homeownership community in Marin County.

The nonprofit is working to build 50 homes on a vacant lot along Redwood Boulevard near Highway 101 in Novato. The development could eventually house more than 200 people and is targeted to begin construction in early 2028.

For families like Andie Rounds and her three children, Habitat's homeownership program has already provided a life-changing measure of stability.

A decade ago, Rounds said her family was moving from apartment to apartment, often uncertain how long they would be able to stay.

"Being told you're on a month-to-month basis and just not sure what the next day would bring," Rounds said.

Today, the full-time night nurse owns a home in Novato and pays a mortgage while building equity. She was among the families who purchased one of 10 single-family homes Habitat built at Mount Burdell in 2016.

"It's given my family and children a stable place to grow up in and not being shuffled around," she said.

The Mount Burdell homes were built for households earning between 50% and 80% of the area median income. That opportunity is particularly significant in Marin County, where the median home sells for roughly $1.6 million.

Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco CEO Maureen Sedonaen said the organization operates not only as a developer and builder, but also as a mortgage lender.

"Part of our story that's so powerful that people don't know is 50% of the cost comes from the homeowners through their mortgage payments," Sedonaen said. "We are also a mortgage lender in addition to being the real estate developer and construction company."

The remaining cost is supported through philanthropy and government funding.

Habitat homes are not given away. Buyers are required to qualify financially, make mortgage payments and contribute hundreds of hours of "sweat equity" during construction. Families typically put in about 500 hours helping build their homes and those of their neighbors.

"We hope more and more philanthropy sees that investing in affordable homeownership around the Bay Area, the state and country is really important because this is what changes the narrative for families," Sedonaen said.

Habitat is also currently building eight homes in Bolinas.

Demand has far exceeded supply. Habitat received more than 200 applications for the 10 Mount Burdell homes and about 100 applications for eight homes being built in Bolinas.

Like many cities across California, the push comes as Novato remains far behind its state housing allocation.

Under state mandates, Novato must plan for nearly 2,100 new homes during the current eight-year housing cycle ending in 2031. The city issued building permits for just 15 housing units in 2025.

Three years into the cycle, Novato has permitted 141 units, amounting to less than 7% of its state housing allocation.

For Rounds, the impact of affordable homeownership is measured less in statistics than in what it has meant for her family.

Her daughters have since gone to college, while her middle-school-aged son has been able to grow up with the stability she once struggled to provide.

"We have a home, a home we love," Rounds said. "We pour so much love into it. It's stable. My kids know no matter where they go there's a home to come back to.