Local Housing—hard to come by, hard to afford
The view from Blue and Passive homes.
In vacation and second-home communities such as ours, many working people cannot afford to buy—or even rent—local housing. Surrounded by the Point Reyes National Seashore and protected open space and with growth restricted by zoning and septic limitations, the area’s housing is scarce to begin with. The very qualities of beauty, peacefulness, and close-knit community that make the area attractive also cause land and housing costs to escalate. When that happens, the “everyday” people who serve the community are priced out of the market.
Young adults who grew up here can’t afford to stay and young families with children are forced to move away, diminishing the school population. We lose caregivers for seniors, grandchildren, volunteer firefighters, and health care providers. Local independent shopkeepers are affected. In short, our communities risk losing a healthy variety of people and businesses that make these thriving towns so attractive.
Seeking to provide homes for seniors.
CLAM believes that people who work in West Marin and have settled their roots here should not have to leave because the speculative market pushes them out. Taking houses out of the escalating market and holding them in trust for the community helps assure stability to a wide segment of the population. Housing becomes a shared community resource that is affordable to a wide range of income levels.
What is affordable? According to government guidelines, affordability means that residents spend no more than one-third of their income on total housing costs (including utilities).