A vacant lot in Point Reyes Station could become a housing solution for displaced ranch workers and those living in substandard housing, with the goal of potentially turning into a location for more permanent affordable homes for the West Marin workforce.
On June 10, the Marin County Board of Supervisors approved an intent to purchasethe lot at B and 6th streets, two blocks away from the unincorporated village’s downtown business district on Shoreline Highway. The approximately one-acre flat lot on the northwest corner of Point Reyes Station is known locally as the Calf Lot.
The property is owned by House in Point Reyes LLC, which is under contract to sell the parcel to the Community Land Trust of West Marin (CLAM). Now that the Supervisors have approved a resolution to buy the land, a back-to-back escrow process begins. CLAM will remain in partnership with the County and work to deploy at least 12 homes on wheels during the shelter crisis that was adopted by the Board of Supervisors in March.
West Marin has a severe shortage of homes for lower-income households, many of whom are Latino with family members who have lived in the area for decades. More than 150 residents who qualify as extremely low-income are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of losing their homes as a result of displacement from ranches. Many private historic ranches supply housing to local families, some of which is substandard and in structures considered threats to health and safety. Fourteen ranches within the federally owned Point Reyes National Seashore area are shutting down because of a settlement between ranchers and environmentalists. Households will need to vacate by early 2026.
After that settlement was announced, the Supervisors adopted a resolution declaring an emergency shelter crisis in unincorporated Marin, which allowed the County to eliminate zoning and environmental review barriers and expedite temporary housing solutions on sites owned by the County. The Calf Lot was selected as an option for a temporary housing location after a detailed, community-led site evaluation process that prioritized proximity to schools, employment centers, public transit, and essential services.
The Marin County Community Development Agency (CDA) cites a reliance on that lower income workforce to operate West Marin’s farms, schools, nonprofits, restaurants, and businesses. Without more affordable housing solutions, the economic destabilization of those families would cause them to relocate away from the region, creating local labor shortages and disrupting a rural economy that relies on tourism and agricultural production.
“Beyond the economic impacts, these deep-rooted local families face significant psychological strain from prolonged housing insecurity and the threat of separation from community networks,” said CDA Deputy Director Leelee Thomas. “The forced relocation of children impacted by the ranch closures will lead to negative impacts on children, school enrollment and school funding.”
CDA staff manages the Marin County Housing Trust Fund, which was created in 1988 to increase the stock of permanently affordable homes in the county. The fund’s mission is to support deeply affordable housing and expand access to stable homeownership for lower-income families, particularly those from historically underserved communities. The Housing Trust Fund is used regularly to help affordable housing developers build and preserve homes for lower income individuals and households. The County has committed over $42 million and added more than 680 affordable housing units since 2015 through new construction, acquisition, conversion, or preservation.
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