Is San Clemente Place REALLY a good model for the Marinwood Village project?

San Clemente Place is 79 unit project in Corte Madera said to be a model for a successful example of affordable housing for Marinwood Village.

Editor's Note:  We provide this story as a counterpoint to the happy talk that affordable housing advocates want us to believe about Marinwood Village and low income housing in Marinwood-Lucas Valley.  The reality is that high density housing concentrates urban problems.  Even at low per capita rates of crime, more people means more overall crime. Concentrating 70% of all low income housing for unincorporated Marin in our 5.78 square miles will transform our community forever.  We are not suggesting all residents in affordable housing will have the same experiences as Ms. Fourshey. 

Here is how www.livelocalmarin.org describes San Clemente Place:

San Clemente Place is a 79-unit affordable housing community in Corte Madera that provides housing for low-income individuals and families near jobs, shopping, parks, schools and transportation. Built on a 2.74 acre infill site in 2007 by EAH Housing, San Clemente is a shining example of an elegant and successful affordable housing complex.The buildings were engineered to conserve energy, and the eye-catching architecture consists of two- and three-story buildings surrounding an open courtyard, garden, and play area. The property boasts landscaped entryways and private balconies with bay, mountain or garden views, bringing a sense of openness and natural beauty to the surroundings. San Clemente provides a range of apartment choices for single-person households and families, and reserves some units for individuals with developmental disabilities or who were formerly homeless. Residents who qualify for San Clemente’s apartments earn between $23,000-$68,000 annually.Residents have access to a large community room with a kitchen, computer lab and patio. Children enjoy the courtyard, play structure and basketball court.  A full-time on-site manager and part-time resource coordinator plan resident activities such as a homework club, summer youth program, and classes on gardening, computers and financial planning.

In the real world, there are problems. San Clemente Place is being rebuilt already due to alleged shoddy construction and bad waterproofing.  Residents complain of poor management.

When San Clemente Place opened in 2008 the Marin IJ ran this story

Corte Madera residents of affordable housing complex thrilled with new homes

excerpt:

Jackie Fourshey still can't believe her good fortune.

"I've got a view of the Richmond Bridge," said Fourshey, 41, who recently moved with her 19-year-old daughter, Ashley, to San Clemente Place, Corte Madera's new affordable housing complex. "I know we're blessed to be here."

Fourshey and her daughter occupy one of the 79 units at San Clemente Place. The complex rents to households that earn between $12,000 and $73,000 a year, with rental prices that range from 25 to 60 percent of the area median income.

EAH Housing, the San Rafael nonprofit developer that built San Clemente Place, hosted a "grand opening" of the complex Tuesday, and Fourshey and other residents gushed about their new homes. Residents began moving into the $32 million complex in January, but EAH just recently finished all the "last-minute touches," as project manager Andy Blauvelt put it.

"This has been a long time coming," Corte Madera Councilwoman Carla Condon said. "We feel this is really an asset to our community. They really did a beautiful job."

Two years later,  the Marin IJ ran this story 

Three arrested in Corte Madera meth case 

Three suspects were arrested after a methamphetamine bust at a Corte Madera shopping center, the sheriff's department said Wednesday.

Jacqueline Latrice Fourshey, 42, and Baltazar Ruiz-Huitzil, 27, both of Corte Madera, were arrested on drug sales allegations, while Gabriel Ruiz-Huitzil, 25, of San Rafael was booked on suspicion of concealing or destroying evidence.

The arrests occurred Tuesday night after an investigation by the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force, the county drug squad. Drug investigators, receiving information that Fourshey was selling methamphetamine throughout Marin, bought meth from the suspects on several occasions before setting up a bust Tuesday, said task force Sgt. Fred Marziano.

Fourshey was arrested after arriving as planned in the parking lot of Corte Madera Town Center, Marziano said. Investigators then executed a search warrant at her residence on San Clemente Drive, where they found the other two suspects.

Fourshey was released after posting bail. The two men remained in custody at the county jail Wednesday night in the task force case

The local citizens following the story commented HERE.