Golden Gate Village Secures Federal Funding for Lighting Upgrades

San Rafael, CA - With the recent influx of federal funding, $1.3 million worth of energy efficiency upgrades are scheduled for installation at Golden Gate Village in Marin City by the end of 2023. More than 500 exterior light fixtures in parking lots, structures, and pathways - most of them over 60 years old - will be replaced with new, energy-efficient LED systems.

Included in the $1.7 trillion spending package that cleared Congress and was signed by President Biden on December 29 was $650,000 for the Golden Gate Village upgrades. The request was submitted last spring by the County of Marin and the Marin Housing Authority (MHA), and part of the package's $15 billion nationally in earmarks for "Community Projects." The County is providing $650,000 in matching funds to bring the total project balance to $1.3 million.

The project was one of 15 funding requests submitted by Congressman Jared Huffman as part of the 2023 federal budget process.

"We are thrilled to see this important project get funded and grateful to our senators and especially Congressman Huffman for the championing of it," said MHA Authority Board President Stephanie Moulton-Peters, whose county supervisorial district includes Marin City. "The upgrades are an important part of the energy efficiency improvements planned for Golden Gate Village, and new exterior lighting will bring real and immediate benefits for residents."

A recently recognized landmark on the National Historic Registry, Golden Gate Village and its designated low-income 296 living units were constructed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the 1960s. Much of the infrastructure at Golden Gate Village is original to construction, including the exterior lighting systems.

Installation of the new lighting is anticipated to have a triple benefit: modern LED fixtures will not only reduce carbon emissions and increase safety in the complex for residents walking to and from parking lots at night but will also have significant annual cost savings resulting from both reduced electricity bills and repairs of the antiquated fixtures. MHA, which manages the complex, plans to reinvest those cost savings into other deferred maintenance throughout the facilities.

Since they are exterior-focused, the lightning updates will be fully compatible with other major development and renovations planned for Golden Gate Village. Importantly, since the lightning upgrades are separate from those larger-scale improvements, they can be completed much sooner than the other major renovations.

The funding request was supported by the County Board of Supervisors, the Golden Gate Village Residents Council, the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter, and the Marin County Sheriff's Office.