‘Mayor Kate’ is ‘strong advocate for housing’ in Marin County’s largest city

On Dec. 20, 2020, Kate Colin became San Rafael’s first woman mayor since the city was incorporated 175 years ago.

From the beginning, she said, she wanted to focus on achieving four goals:

1. Help the city recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.
2. Increase the availability of affordable housing, especially for veterans and those experiencing homelessness.
3. Sustain the environment from the effects of wildfires and rising sea levels.
4. Find ways to eliminate racial injustice.

“We continue to reach out to the community to join the city of San Rafael to find solutions for the issues we face,” said Colin, who has an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College. She has lived in the Sun Valley neighborhood since 1996 with her husband, Jeff, and their two children.

“I believe the foundation of democracy starts with local government by leaders who build community engagement and trust. Government today is at an evolution point at all levels and the dynamics of how it works are changing. The question is how do we better engage with the people we serve, obtain their input, buy-in and participation when implementing change?” Colin said, who was among the city officials at the North Bay Business Journal’s Impact Marin conference Sept. 22 in San Rafael.

Joanne Webster, executive director of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce said Colin “listens to people, from all walks of life.” That includes members of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee and other local leaders, while working collaboratively with government officials, the business community and individuals to determine how to get things done.

“Our mayor is a mover and shaker of Marin County’s largest city and one who is willing to take a chance and make things happen,” Webster said. “She knows how to draw the right people to the table who can be instrumental when it comes to implementation and funding.”

According to Webster, one of Colin’s favorite sayings is, “We must think outside the box and not apply the same old solutions to new problems.”

Economic recovery

COVID transformed San Rafael’s business landscape. To meet critical needs of the moment, in 2020 Colin worked to create a $250,000 city grant program for businesses, enabling many to keep their lights on.

Webster said the chamber supports the mayor’s efforts and actively conducting polls and surveys to keep a finger on the pulse of business activity and the concerns of its members.

To gather additional feedback, a special QR code was created so residents and others in specific industry groups could submit information used to assess opportunities to stimulate greater economic growth. The chamber’s Economic Development Subcommittee meets monthly to discuss ways to achieve a better future informed by this input.

Housing and the homelessness

Colin is given credit for helping to form the San Rafael Service Support Area (SSA) in 2021 — since shelters were closed in 2020 during the pandemic — with the goal of getting unhoused people off the street by providing a safe, secure space where they could receive specialized services. Initially, tents were set up serving as temporary shelters on raised platforms to satisfy the initial stage of their housing journey.

Colin describes the Housing First program, named such because it does not require those experiencing homelessness to get sober, obtain a job, take medications or initially address other issues before being eligible for housing, as successful in relocating 90% of homeless individuals from San Rafael’s streets. Within a year, each person was also covered by case management counselors and others providing mental health support.

The city also worked with California Department of Transportation, California Highway Patrol and Marin County to security, restrooms, handwashing stations and garbage pickup along with ongoing outreach, case management workers and service referrals and then finds pathways for the homeless to transition to permanent housing.

“We’re not just giving the homeless keys to a door, we’re providing a range of social services including mental health assistance and not just calling first responders and police to resolve issues,” she said.

On the housing front, after a city and chamber of commerce report found the government requirements that 20% of housing construction be affordable housing was discouraging builders, the mayor worked to lower the requirement to 10%.

“Our RHNA (Regional Housing Need Allocation) process had enough building sites identified from the previous cycle with many units approved for construction but not built,” Colin said. “I’m proud of our community for approving many multi-family projects. Two and a half months ago we approved a project for 900-plus 100% electric units near Kaiser.”

While Colin has had small successes and some major progress in attaining her four priorities, she believes there is still a way to go.

“We are seeing positive results and things are definitely getting better when it comes to improving the lives of homeless veterans through the Novato Project in cooperation with Homeward Bound by building the first permanent supportive housing in Marin County in Hamilton with 50 units dedicated to homeless veterans,” she said.

Mary Kay Sweeney, Ph.D., co-executive director together with Paul Fordham for Homeward Bound, noted the mayor’s leadership style.

“Kate is an inquisitive and curious leader when it comes to finding solutions to homelessness issues,” Sweeney said.

Fordham appreciated Colin’s thoroughness.

“She is very thoughtful about settling on the best approach to doing what is right,” Fordham said. “Kate does her homework — a lot of research — and has become a strong advocate for housing.”

This project was funded with $2 million from Marin County and $12 million from the Marin County Foundation as well as supported by state funds.

Social equity

Colin faced controversy and a city council heated debate when two San Rafael police officers were placed on paid administrative leave and are involved in in a criminal investigation for the alleged use of excessive force following a July 27 beating of a Latino gardener caught on body cams in the Canal District in which he suffered a broken nose and concussion.

“I’m working with a firm looking at ways to firmly establish equity at City Hall knowing that this may cause consequences,” Colin said. “We are also actively striving to establish collaboration between residents, community-based organizations — such as forums within the Spanish community — as well as the towns, cities and the Marin County Office of Equity and its Race Equity Action Plan (REAP) focusing on economic opportunity, housing and mental health. Social equity must also become a normal business focus.”

The groundwork has been laid for future action, she said.

“I’m optimistic and believe that if we continue to look forward, and never give up, together we can make significant and achieve lasting progress toward meeting our priorities as we create an even better San Rafael for generations to come,” Colin said.