Question 1

What are the eligibility requirements for me to participate?

Accepted Answer

• The Program is only available to homeowners who own a single-family home in the Unincorporated Areas of Marin County.
 • Once your ADU unit is completed, you must rent the unit or the main home to a bona fide tenant, which may be a family member or friend/acquaintance or someone new. The goal of the program is to create more housing.
 • You must commit to rent one unit (either the ADU/JADU or, if you choose to move to the ADU/JADU, your primary home) for a period of at least 3 years following completion of your new unit. 
 •  While there are not income limits to participate in the Program, If you earn greater than 120% of the AMI the completed ADU/JADU must be rented at a rate that is affordable to tenants who earn no greater than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) in Marin County. As an example, monthly rent limits based on 2022/23 AMI are as follows: $2,610 for a studio unit, $2,797 for a 1-bedroom unit, and $3,356 for a 2-bedroom unit.
 • You must have access to financial resources to fully finance the design and construction of your ADU.  HelloADU offers free feasibility and project management services but not construction capital.  We will support participants with understanding the different types of financing options that are available in the market and help evaluate which options may make the most sense to pursue. 
 • Because this is a publicly funded program, an important aspect is our evaluation of what worked well for owners and what could be improved. Participating owners must agree to participate in our evaluation activities, such as filling out occasional surveys and engaging in one or more interviews about their experience in the Program.  This critical feedback allows us to improve processes and (we hope!) showcase successful projects to inspire other owners to build an ADU/JADU on their property.

Question 2

What is the purpose of Marin County's HelloADU Program?

Accepted Answer

HelloADU will offer participating homeowners free ADU feasibility and project management services from nonprofit organization Hello Housing.  Our goal is to make it easier for homeowners to navigate the complex and often confusing process of designing, financing, permitting, an constructing an ADU or JADU.  We believe that partnering with homeowners like you to create new housing units in your community can help move the needle on addressing the Bay Area’s housing crisis.

Simply put, we want more people to build ADUs and we want to help make it easier!

Question 3

Who should apply for Marin County's HelloADU Program?

Accepted Answer

Homeowners who meet the basic eligibility criteria and have decided that they want to build an ADU or JADU should apply. If you aren’t ready to start now or are still saving up to build your ADU/JADU, we encourage you to subscribe (javascript:void(0))for updates. We hope to see the initial pilot expand County-wide.  However, for now, we have a limited number of spots and need to prioritize households that are ready to act by committing their time and resources now.

Question 4

How do I know if I am ready?

Accepted Answer

For starters, you might be ready if your household has had conversations about building an ADU or JADU and has come to some decisions about moving forward and how you will finance it.

Question 5

Are there any limits on my income or my future tenant's income to participate?

Accepted Answer

While there is not an income eligibility requirement to participate in the program, selected Participants who earn greater than 120% of the Area Median Income by household size (i.e. $199,200 for a family of 4) will be subject to an affordable rent rate cap on the new unit during the 3-year compliance period.  The rent limits are based on 80% of Area Median Income for Marin County which are typically adjusted on an annual basis.  As an example, the current rent limits are as follows:  Studio $2,610, One-bedroom $2,797, Two-bedroom $3,356.

Households whose incomes are below 120% of the Area Median Income are not subject to a rent cap during the 3-year compliance period.

Question 6

What is expected of me if I participate?

Accepted Answer

• We expect you to meet all eligibility criteria for the program (see above) including access to sufficient financial resources to support all design and construction costs without financial assistance from Marin County's HelloADU program.

• We expect you to be ready to start moving your project forward after entering into a Participation Agreement for project management services.

• We expect you to be available to meet with your project team on occasion during the business hours Monday through Friday.

• We expect you to be willing and able to get all household members and decision-makers on the same page.  Your family or household does not need to be in total agreement about your goals when you apply, but we will need you to get there before we can help you proceed with the design and construction phases of your ADU/JADU project.

• We expect you to meet with and engage with third-party professionals who will help move your project forward.

Question 7

How much financial capacity do I need to show in order to qualify for Marin County's HelloADU program? What documents do I need to provide?

Accepted Answer

It will depend on the type of project you are planning to build. For example, a detached 2-bedroom ADU will cost significantly more than a conversion of an existing bedroom and bathroom into a Junior ADU. Once we have completed a Remote Assessment and phone interview and have a better understanding of your project scope, we will share a ballpark number.  Acceptable documentation of financial capacity includes financial account statements, loan pre-approval letters or loan documents from lenders, and gift letters. If you do not have a financial plan in place, we can help you navigate various financial options with lenders that may best fit your needs.

Question 8

Other companies advertise as offering ADU project management or even "one stop shop" services. How is Marin County's HelloADU program different?"

Accepted Answer

Great question!  Here are some features that make our program special:
 • HelloADU helps you bring everything you need under one trusted roof!  Some firms do design-build, but they may not be able to help you determine what your family can afford, refer you to a competitor, or help you understand what landlord responsibilities apply in your city.

• As a nonprofit, we are able to offer quality project management services, but at no cost to selected homeowners in our program, thanks to the support of our government partners and philanthropic funders.
 
 • HelloADU is administered by Hello Housing, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit housing organization, which means we don’t have a financial conflict of interest nor profit motive in working with you.  Our goal is to help you realize your ADU vision, not to push you into a product or service we are selling or promoting.

Question 9

Should I apply if I've already started my project, but now I'm stuck?"

Accepted Answer

Yes!  You are welcome to apply, however your project’s ultimate fit for Marin County's HelloADU’s free services may depend, in part, on your project’s specific circumstances.

Question 10

Should I apply if my home already has an ADU, and I would like to add a third unit? Or I would like to add a second and third unit at the same time?"

Accepted Answer

Yes! We invite you to apply, but please note if you are seeking to add two units at the same time, we only have a limited number of free project management hours avaialbe for each homeowner so we will evaluate your project goals to determine if we are the right fit.

Question 11

Should I apply if I would like to build a pre-fab ADU on my property?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We invite you to apply! Depending on the prefab builder you choose, our services may be modified to match their process.

Question 12

Should I apply if my primary home needs work that I’d like to handle at the same time as adding an ADU?

Accepted Answer

You are welcome to apply, however your project’s fit for Marin County's HelloADU’s free services will depend, in part, on how much work is needed on your primary home.  The program's free services are designed to support homeowners to create more housing on existing properties and not for supporting the remodeling needs of the existing home.

Question 13

Should I apply if I plan to rent to a family member?

Accepted Answer

Yes, so long as you have a  bona fide lease with your family member that meets the requirements of the program (e.g. the rent charged is at or below the rent limits established by the program for homeowners earning greater than 120% of AMI).

Question 14

Should I apply if I have an unpermitted ADU/JADU that I would like help legalizing?

Accepted Answer

We encourage you to apply so that we can help you determine if it is the right fit for our services.  Legalizing units can be tricky and we want to make sure that the project can be legalized and that you are ready for the work that may be involved to bring your informal unit up to current building codes.

Question 15

Do I get to choose my own tenant?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Participating homeowners will select their own tenant.  If you know someone you would like to rent to, you are welcome to do so, so long as you enter into a lease with the tenant.  If you would like assistance finding the right tenant, we can refer you to HelloADU's tenant matchmaking partners. It is important to note that in advertising your unit, screening applicants, and selecting a tenant, you must comply with all applicable fair housing laws.  Mandatory landlord training for HelloADU participants will help ensure that you understand these laws and other landlord responsibilities.

Question 16

Do I get to choose my own architect, designer, and/or builder?"

Accepted Answer

Yes, you will be the one to choose the product type and design/construction professionals for your project.  We are here to help guide you through that selection process, helping you understand various product types (from pre-fabricated/modular to on-site panelized construction to traditional “stick-build” construction) and connecting you to a list of experienced professionals.

Question 17

Are pre-approved plans available?

Accepted Answer

HelloADU does not offer (or require!) the use of pre-approved plans. However many jurisdictions are in the process of developing pre-approved plans.  As these plans become available and if the County decides to review and pre-approve specific plans, we will notify you in case this makes sense for your project. You are also welcome to choose an off-the-shelf pre-fab or modular product and we will adapt our services to make sense with this product type.

Question 18

If I’m not eligible or not selected to participate in Marin County's HelloADU program, can you refer me to other ADU service providers?"

Accepted Answer

Making smart referrals would require us to have some familiarity with your project and your specific needs, and as a nonprofit organization we do not have the resources to do the necessary homework for free. However, Hello Housing also provides feasibility and project management services at a reasonable hourly rate. Please contact us if interested in learning more.

Marin County

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