How to Apply for a CLAM Rental

Preguntas Frecuentes Sobre la Lista de Espera
Download Rental Application
Obten la Solicitud de Renta
Self Employment Certification Form

Send or drop off a completed rental application to CLAM office. Applications are available at the CLAM office or to download from website.

Many people assume that if they are very low income they will qualify for a CLAM rental. This is not true. An individual earning $80,000/year is considered low income in Marin County! To qualify for a CLAM rental, the household income must be at least three times the amount of rent being asked for a particular unit. Rents are set for a particular unit based on amounts needed to cover property expenses, rents are not adjusted for particular applicants. CLAM is not currently able to subsidize individual rents, and households with extremely low income are very difficult for us to serve.

All income information remains confidential and is not reported to IRS. However, CLAM needs to be able to verify your income and must be able to call the people you work for and inquire about your income. We might also ask for bank statements in order to verify income.

When a rental home becomes available, the waitlist will be sorted three times. The first sort is for appropriate household size. We will not put 5 people in a one bedroom, and we will not put 1 person in a two bedroom. The second sort will be for affordability. The list of people with appropriate household size will be narrowed down to those with enough income to support the rent needed for the particular unit. Finally, the third sort will be chronological. From the list of applicants with the right household size and ability to afford the rent, the ones that have been on the waitlist the longest will be considered first.

Yes. If the applicant has the appropriate household size and can afford the rent, priority consideration will be given to applicants experiencing homelessness or domestic violence, even if they recently got on the waitlist. Homeless applicants with children will be given additional priority. An applicant is considered to be facing homelessness if they are living in a temporary situation without a rental agreement.

Good question! Some of our lenders hold us to the 30% requirement. If we allow people to spend a greater percentage of their income on housing we will not be contributing to their stability, because they will likely not be able to set aside any savings for the curve balls that life inevitably throws. The 30% rule is not a one size fits all rule. Some people have more debt than others, or spend less on commuting and thus could afford to spend more on housing. Still, it might be the best benchmark we have for financial stability. Keep in mind that we look at 30% of gross income; which might be the same as 40% of net income.

We will let you know that we have received your application, and we will contact you again when we have an available unit that matches your household size and affordability level. Sometimes it can take years before we have an available unit that meets your needs. You are welcome to check in anytime, and encouraged to update your application when your income situation changes. We will periodically call everyone to see if their situation has changed and/or if they wish to remain on the waitlist.

CLAM is an Equal Housing Opportunity provider and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.

To stay informed, become a member of CLAM, subscribe to our Newsletter, come to our Annual Meeting in the spring each year and get announcements of community meetings.

Questions? Please call us at 1-415-663-1005.

West Marin Commons, Point Reyes Station.Susan Brayton — West Marin Commons, Point Reyes Station

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