The Point Reyes National Seashore settlement agreement (as well as living conditions for tenants on other ranch lands) has exacerbated housing insecurity and displacement in West Marin. The Committee for Housing Agriculture Workers and Their Families (CHAWTF), a coalition formed by the County of Marin and Marin Community Foundation, together with West Marin Fund and numerous other community partners and leaders, was formed specifically to address the complex challenges and collaborative solutions needed to address the housing crisis facing the West Marin community and economy.
The CHAWTF study, "Growing Together: Advancing Housing Solutions for Workers in West Marin,” is a culmination of in-depth interviews, surveys, community listening sessions, and statistical research conducted over a 12-month period, beginning in 2023. The study outlines goals and collaborative solutions that are summarized as follows:
Goals:
- Prevent displacement and homelessness by housing displaced ranch residents who want to stay in West Marin
- Use this opportunity to begin to tackle longer-term challenges of affordable housing in West Marin
- Operate in parallel to related post-settlement efforts
Strategies:
Accelerating the development of housing will require significant efforts and changes from all parties involved. Below are some of the highest priority changes needed and pathways for housing development currently identified. Each strategy will have to consider:
- Land
- Infrastructure
- Funding
- Policy and Permitting
- Partnerships
- 30 - 50 Interim Housing Units
Multiple sites and housing types will be needed to get to the 30-50 units. Potential scenarios include a community rentals and residents’ hosting program, hotel master-lease or purchase, and mobile units on publicly-owned or nonprofit-owned lands. - 50-100 Permanent Units of Affordable Housing
This involves accelerating any development under way and securing land to develop new units quickly.
Principles for how partners can work together include:
- Ensure strategies are informed by those most impacted
- Ensure a range of housing solutions
- Prioritize solutions that will have the greatest impact
- Prioritize solutions that can be done swiftly and cost effectively
- Maximize existing housing stock