The highlight of 2025 was Governor Newsom’s signing of rent‑control legislation for Marin County floating homes, which we have reported on extensively. It’s worth remembering that this momentous achievement is just the latest in a long line of FHA accomplishments on behalf of our community. It’s also a reminder of what the FHA can achieve with the support of the community.
Back in 2004, former FHA president Suki Sennett wrote an article for this publication titled “The Benefits of FHA Membership, or what have you done for me lately?” Below are lightly edited excerpts that clearly demonstrate how the Association has supported floating‑home residents since its earliest days.
You can deduct your mortgage from your income tax.
FHA successfully helped convince state and local governments to designate our homes as real property. Prior to 1986, our homes were considered vessels requiring an annual CF number. As a result of this change, we can deduct our mortgage payments.
Proposition 13 applies to floating homes.
The FHA drafted and worked to pass a bill through the California Legislature amending Proposition 13 so that it would apply to floating homes. Accordingly, floating homeowners now have the same protections under Prop 13 as other California homeowners.
Simple, legal title can be obtained for your floating home.
Originally, floating homes were titled through the DMV, just like cars. An inadvertent change in California law eliminated this method, and for a time floating‑home ownership could not be legally registered — halting sales and preventing new financing. The FHA sponsored legislation that restored a legal process for registering, transferring, and securing mortgage liens on floating homes.
Richardson Bay is cleaner and more peaceful.
FHA actively collaborated on the creation of the Richardson Bay Special Area Plan and the Richardson Bay Regional Agency (RBRA). The result is a cleaner, safer Richardson Bay, free of floating debris and less polluted thanks to regulation of anchor‑outs, transient vessels, and the imposition of environmental protections.
The rights of residents and responsibilities of marina operators are clearly defined.
The 1991 Floating Homes Residency Law (California Civil Code Section 800), drafted and lobbied through the Legislature by the FHA, established — for the first time — clear rights for floating‑home residents. It is our own Bill of Rights.
Leases no longer contain retroactive rent‑increase threats.
In 1994, the FHA drafted and lobbied for a “berth‑control” bill, AB 2459, which passed the Assembly. The threat of Senate passage brought WPH owners to the negotiating table, resulting in 10‑year leases without retroactive rent increases. A similar rent‑control threat in 2003 motivated Kappas Marina operators to negotiate as well.
FHA monitors state and federal legislation.
Examples include:
– Commenting on AB 107, which would have expanded local authority to remove abandoned boats and debris (the bill failed in committee).
– Successfully convincing federal agencies to exclude the northern Sausalito houseboat area from wetlands designation, preventing an additional layer of regulation.
– Ensuring that houseboats were excluded from AB 2362, which would have required marine sanitation devices for vessels, unnecessary in our homes.
FHA monitors County building codes and regulations.
The FHA works with County planners on code revisions and enforcement issues. It successfully secured a requirement that affected homeowners be notified when a building permit involves an architectural deviation or variance.
Floating home insurance.
When insurance companies threatened to cancel coverage, the FHA located insurers — including the FAIR Plan — willing to provide relatively affordable basic property insurance.
Mortgage and home‑equity lenders.
Although federal law requires banks to provide financing in communities where they operate, many lenders had redlined Sausalito floating homes. The FHA identified three lenders willing to work with qualified homeowners and successfully lobbied them to reduce interest rates and improve eligibility for first mortgages and home‑equity loans.
Community emergency response.
The FHA paid for 39 floating‑home residents to receive specialized emergency‑response training from the County Fire Department. At least two CERT‑trained residents were living on every dock. Every dock had an FHA‑funded two‑way radio, and the FHA purchased a heavy‑duty pump for sinking houseboats, housed at the County Fire Department’s Marin City Substation.
Permit applications.
While the state and County permit‑renewal process for WPH has received the most attention, Kappas Marina and Yellow Ferry Harbor are also due to renew their permits. FHA volunteers have played — and will continue to play — a major role in the WPH permit process with both the County and BCDC. The outcome will directly affect the Kappas and Yellow Ferry permits.
Relationships with public‑safety agencies.
The FHA maintains a cordial and productive relationship with County and City of Sausalito public‑safety agencies — a crucial component of community health and safety.
A strong voice in government.
The FHA is an effective advocate for the floating homes community with local and state elected officials and their staffs. Maintaining these relationships has been, is, and will continue to be essential to protecting our property values.
Positive national and international publicity.
Through our annual tour and collaboration with media professionals, the FHA has generated positive coverage of our community around the world.
Support for local nonprofits.
The FHA has donated thousands of dollars to organizations including the Marin City Library, the Sausalito Schools Foundation, the Marine Mammal Center, and the Sausalito Historical Society.
The WPH Community Development Plan.
On March 18, 2004, BCDC approved a 20‑year permit for WPH — the successful culmination of 32 years of litigation and waterfront unrest. Truly, peace in our time.
Today, the FHA is actively engaged in timely challenges such as fire safety, and sea level rise planning. Your support is as vital today as it has it has been for more than four decades. Please consider donating to the Association today.
And don’t forget, it takes lots of dedicated volunteers to make all this happen. If you’d like to devote some time and skills for the benefit of your community, please contact one of the FHA officers:
President Peter Miller peter.morris.miller@gmail.com
Vice President Alex Shoer alexshoer@gmail.com
Secretary Karen Tischler Karen.Tischler@yahoo.com