West Marin housing report calls for 1,000 workforce dwellings

West Marin needs to create at least 1,000 new residences affordable to households earning less than $65,000 a year, according to a new report.

The report, commissioned by the county, the Marin Community Foundation and the West Marin Fund, includes a long list of recommendations on how the area’s shortage of worker housing can be addressed.

These include streamlining the permitting process for the rehabilitation of agricultural worker housing; taxing vacant homes; changing the county’s septic requirements; establishing an inspection system for housing conditions on ranches; and expediting development of land already identified as preferred sites for building in the county’s housing element.

“We don’t want this to be just another study that will gather dust on a shelf,” said Cassandra Benjamin, the lead author of the study. “It’s a call to action for state and county legislators, businesses, nonprofits and community leaders to work together in unprecedented ways. We need policy changes, funding and a willingness to ensure our workforce can remain in our communities.”

Rhea Suh, president and chief executive officer of the Marin Community Foundation, said, “We need to do more and we need to do it with the level of urgency that is required.”

The report was prepared by CSB Philanthropic Solutions, which Benjamin founded. Benjamin is also the interim director of housing for the Marin Community Foundation. CSB was paid $255,000 for its work. MCF contributed $155,000; the county paid $100,000; and the West Marin Fund chipped in $25,000 to cover ancillary costs.

The heart of the report was in-depth interviews with 68 workers, all of whom are Latino and half of whom were undocumented. Each interviewee received a $50 stipend for their time. Benjamin said she purposely limited the interviews to Latino residents because it was assumed they would be experiencing the worst housing conditions and earning the least money.

According to the report, 78% of the interviewee described housing problems that Marin County Environmental Health Services would consider a “major violation.”

The report comes amid efforts by the Bolinas Community Land Trust to secure permanent housing for 60 Latino residents who had been living in substandard conditions on the Tacherra ranch in West Marin for years.

The land trust raised about $3.7 million in grants and donations to move the workers into 27 leased recreational vehicles last year and is seeking funding to create permanent housing for them in West Marin. In April, the trust received a $8.67 million state Encampment Resolution Fund grant to aid in that effort.

According to the study, 2,824 people were employed in reported jobs located in West Marin in 2021. Of those, 81%, or 2,299 people, commuted into West Marin for work.

The report estimates that there are at least 384 rental dwellings on ranches that are available for agricultural workers and community members in West Marin. The report notes that, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are 791 hired farm laborers in West Marin. Twenty-six percent of the 68 people interviewed for the report were employed in agriculture, and more than half of them were employed on dairy ranches.

CSB also interviewed 17 agricultural organizations, employers and property owners, including various types of farmers and ranchers.

“Many talked about the strong family ties that developed over many years between their children and their workers’ children, and two even wrote long-term employees into their wills,” the report states. “Most considered the housing as part of employment compensation rather than charging rent for the units.”

The report goes on to say that farmers and ranchers often struggle in terms of housing and income themselves and as a result lack the ready capital for housing development or rehabilitation. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of West Marin farms dropped from 343 to 255, and there has been a 36% decrease in the number of hired farm laborers.

The report also notes that more farm jobs and housing could be lost because of a suit filed by several environmental organizations seeking to prevent the continued use of the Point Reyes National Seashore for limited agricultural operations.

“Several historic ranches operate on Point Reyes National Seashore and offer housing to their employees and other workers,” the report states. “These ranches lease the land from the National Park Service, and at the time of report publication, the future of the leases and ranch housing is uncertain.”

Benjamin said the agricultural community showed the most interest in the report’s recommendation for streamlining the permitting process for the rehabilitation of agricultural worker housing. The report states, however, that “they were wary of the risks and unforeseen costs that may result from the increased scrutiny by county departments and inspectors.”

“Two-thirds of those interviewed had very poor experiences, more than one called them ‘horror stories,’ with county planning and building departments in terms of communication, timing, and cost,” the report said.

Marin County Community Development Agency Director Sarah Jones said there is no immediate plan to present county supervisors with a proposal for code changes as result of the report.

“We don’t plan to bring this to the board as a standalone item at this time, but will be referencing the report’s findings or recommendations where relevant in the work we bring before the board,” she said. “This report will help catalyze change.”