Canal Alliance Announces Purchase of 1400 Lincoln Avenue in San Rafael, Expanding Access to Affordable Housing Marin County
October 31, 2024
On October 30, 2024, Canal Alliance — a non-profit serving Latino immigrants and families in Marin County — closed on the purchase of a nine-unit apartment building at 1400 Lincoln Street in San Rafael. This brings the total number of affordable housing units owned by Canal Alliance to 21, sending a clear message about the agency’s position about the need for more affordable housing in Marin County.
In January 2024, median home values in Marin County were reported by the Marin Independent Journal at approximately $1.8 million, making Marin one of the most expensive areas in California and home ownership unattainable for most working families. Renters in the county do not fare much better, with the average rental rate for a two-bedroom apartment in San Rafael currently at about $3,022 per month.
In the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael, which is home to 23% of Marin County’s Latino population, the situation is even more extreme. For families in Canal, the average household income is typically under $40,000 annually, forcing families into overcrowded living conditions to offset the extreme costs of rent. Even still, many households spend well over 30% of their income on rent.
Furthermore, with the high demand for housing in the Bay Area and the phenomenally high rental rates landlords can collect from tenants, the Canal area of San Rafael has become increasingly attractive to institutional investors looking to turn a profit. This prospecting by developers threatens to displace Latino families.
In response, Canal Alliance has increased efforts to provide affordable housing and advocate for tenants’ rights, viewing housing as a basic human right essential to lifting families out of poverty and ensuring their well-being and stability. The agency’s housing preservation strategy aims for Canal Alliance to acquire 100 housing units in the Canal by 2028, to protect affordable housing stock and prevent further displacement of low-income Latino immigrants and their families. With the recent acquisition of nine units, Canal Alliance is now focused on securing the remaining 79.
As a nonprofit that must raise capital project-by-project working with government and foundations sources which have a slower pace, there is an inherent disadvantage when competing with for-profit developers, with unlimited capital who can act quickly. Thanks to the Marin Community Foundation, La Raza Development Fund, the City of San Rafael, Marin County, and Tam Pacific, Canal Alliance was able to raise sufficient capital to secure site control of property when it hit the market. By doing so, we are helping nine families remain in their community and ensure long-term affordability for their future.
Omar Carrera, Canal Alliance’s CEO, shared that, “The purchase of this building represents a step forward for Canal Alliance, and for Latinos in Marin. Secure housing is the cornerstone of safety, and a foundational building block for anyone, particularly for Latino and immigrant families.”
“No matter what we look like or how much we earn, everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Here at Canal Alliance, we have been working for years to provide safe, stable, affordable housing to our community,” said Yolanda Oviedo, Canal Alliance’s senior manager of housing. “Canal Alliance currently owns 12 units, where we are actively working to improve living standards for our tenants through renovations. For our community, this means increased access to secure, affordable housing and a foundation for long-term support. The purchase of 1400 Lincoln Avenue is an important step toward growing our housing program and supporting this community and neighborhood.”
