Andrea Rounds stands in the kitchen of her bright three-bedroom, three-bath home in the Mount Burdell Place community near downtown Novato, recalling how she felt as she dropped her twin daughters off at college two years ago. “As I bought them bedding to set them up in their dorm rooms,” says Rounds, “I thought about the fact that I couldn’t do that, that none of it would be possible if I had to pay interest on the mortgage on my home. The reason I can support my children’s education is because I have this home. Grateful does not begin to describe the feeling.”
Rounds is a single mother of three: twin girls who are 21 and a son who is 11. She works as a night nurse and parenting coach. In 2017, after years of renting and moving regularly, she read about the Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (GSF) home ownership project on the “Novato in the Know” Facebook page. In partnership with the Marin Community Foundation and the City of Novato, Habitat GSF had purchased property on Fourth Street near downtown Novato to build Mount Burdell Place, the first multi-family development in Marin for Habitat — a neighborhood consisting of 10 three-bedroom, single-family homes.
Rounds learned of the program just one day before the application period closed, but she dropped everything and spent the next day participating in a required workshop and completing an application in the Habitat for Humanity GSF office. Submitting the application allowed her to enter the lottery to have a chance to own one of the 10 homes in the Mount Burdell Place development. When the results of the lottery were published online, Rounds held her breath, opened her computer and looked down the list of lottery winners until she saw that, indeed, she was the 10th of 10 people whose numbers had been drawn.
“I was in shock and so excited. We were all so excited. The kids and I drove by the location,” recalls Rounds. Next, there was another mini-lottery to determine which house the Rounds family would move into. “I’m so happy with my home,” Rounds says. “10 homes, three different styles. Every home is beautiful — the little details, the paint colors, the orientation of the houses. Our drip systems are recycled water, and our plants are drought resistant. The houses stay cool, and we have solar. I love my solar. Every home is a greenpoint home. We were beyond lucky. These homes are green jewels.”
The Habitat for Humanity home ownership program is unique in that the homes are designed for families and ownership rather than for rental. Many affordable housing developments are tightly packed one-bedroom or studio apartments, but these homes are three-bedroom homes designed to fit families. The lottery winners — families whose monthly income and life circumstances meet the criteria (working families earning between 50–120% of median area income) for Habitat’s affordable housing and homeownership program — are not required to make a down payment. Nor do they pay interest on the mortgage loan. Habitat, whose funding comes from individuals, corporations, foundations, government programs and multilateral funding institutions, covers the cost of design and construction as well as the down payment. Home owners pay the interest-free mortgage to build equity in the home, and their mortgage payment is capped so it is no more than 30% of their monthly income. As one of the homeowner requirements, owners put in 500 hours of sweat equity, working alongside Habitat for Humanity volunteers, to construct the homes.
“These 10 homes have my literal sweat and blood,” says Rounds. “We did everything. We were down on our knees, shoveling cement. We literally built our homes. It is such an amazing experience. There is something about building your own home and putting work and time into it — it’s almost like being a parent. You invest the hard work, and you become more attached to it. You are more bonded. It is so special.”
According to statistics from Habitat GSF, 79% of new homeowners report an upward career trajectory, and 85% report improvement in their physical and mental health. Rounds describes her home, where her family has now lived for seven years, as not just a shelter, but also a physical and emotional refuge. “Before this, I was a single mom with three babies renting an apartment, with no security. They had raised the rents on us at my last apartment. I remember going in and saying to the office manager, ‘Hey, I’d like to renew for another year, but there’s no security here. I have three little children, and basically, you could kick us out any time’ and she said, ‘Yeah, basically.’ It was a feeling of powerlessness, an insecurity that feels terrible, especially when it comes down to your babies.” As it turned out, the timing of the family’s move into their Mount Burdell Place home was essential for Rounds when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. “This home became my healing place as I went through treatment,” she says. “I am cancer-free now.”
“People like Andie Rounds keep me grounded in the why of this work,” says Maureen Sedonaen, chief executive officer at Habitat GSF, who orchestrates the partnerships between local entities to fund the program. “You see how home ownership transforms lives. I watch people who are self-determined create a life for themselves and their families, and we get to be a part of that.” With home ownership projects underway in West Marin and Novato, Sedonaen and her Habitat GSF team, along with partners, will make home ownership available for 92 low- and moderate-income families in Marin County. This opportunity will allow these families to gain equity and build generational wealth.
In May, Habitat GSF announced a partnership with Canal Alliance, the nonprofit social service organization in the Canal district of San Rafael. This collaboration is a critical step in addressing the lack of home ownership in the Latino community. Currently, Latino families account for only 5% of the homes owned in Marin County. The median home price in Marin is more than double the average of the rest of the state. That, coupled with a limited housing stock in the region, has led to the displacement of working families. Many of Marin’s workforce now live outside county lines. “When our clients can access affordable housing, their dreams become achievable,” says Omar Carrera, CEO of Canal Alliance. “We see countless examples of stable housing allowing for advancement toward higher education, vocational training, and more.”
Early next year, Habitat for Humanity GSF will begin construction on the 80-unit Redwood Boulevard development in northern Novato. The homes will be built on 13.6 acres of vacant land that was donated to Habitat GSF by PG&E. The City of Novato unanimously approved the project, and the State’s CalHome program awarded $7.5 million — the largest state grant in Habitat GSF history — and public and private donors supported the entitlement process. “When PG&E began talking to us about donating the undeveloped land, we knew it was an incredible opportunity, but would require tremendous planning, perseverance and coordination,” says Sedonaen. “To be where we are today is an amazing feeling.”
Eric Lucan, a vocal proponent of the Mount Burdell Place development when he was mayor of Novato, continues to focus on affordable housing in his role as Marin County supervisor. Lucan had a front row seat as the town of Novato embraced the Redwood Boulevard project. “The median home price in Marin exceeds $1.6 million, making it nearly impossible for families to buy homes, build equity and create generational wealth,” says Lucan. The development is a keystone of Novato’s efforts to bring more affordable housing to the region as Redwood Boulevard will make up 12% of the state-mandated low-income homes and 12% of the moderate-income homes required of the city by 2031.
According to Lucan, many affordable housing developments are rental-only, built by companies from out of the area and are designed to maximize profit. “This is not that,” he says emphatically. “You will see three- and four-bedroom apartments designed for families, and built by the local community.” With 80 homes set amongst parks and courtyards, 10 acres of open space, a community garden, amphitheater, dog parks and trails, the project will provide housing for more than 300 low- and moderate-income individuals. It will be the largest homeownership-only development in the state of California.
Supervisor Lucan, who “swung a hammer” as a volunteer at the Mount Burdell Place construction site, is looking forward to volunteering at the Redwood Boulevard site. “Maybe they will give me a job where I can’t do too much damage,” he laughs. “I would encourage people in Marin to come down and help build this development” (visit Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco to volunteer). Lucan believes that the fact that the homes will be built by volunteers makes the development even more relevant in Novato. “Novato is a family town, a family community. The Redwood Boulevard project creates an opportunity for people from the community to participate, volunteer and help build these homes for families.”
After seven years raising her children in her home in Mount Burdell Place, Andrea Rounds says she continues to feel amazed every day. “As a person who came from simple means, I will never take this home for granted,” she says, motioning to her surroundings. “Everyone deserves this stability. Everyone should have this opportunity to have this. Everyone deserves to have a home.”
Kirsten Jones Neff is a journalist who writes about all things North Bay, with special attention to the environment and the region’s farmers, winemakers and food artisans. She also works and teaches in school gardens. Kirsten’s poetry collection, When The House Is Quiet, was nominated for the Northern California Book Award, and three of her poems received a Pushcart nomination. She lives in Novato with her husband and three children and tries to spend as much time as possible on our local mountains, beaches and waterways. For more on her work visit KirstenJonesNeff.Com.
