Let's Talk Housing in West Marin

How are real estate values in West Marin reshaping the demographics here? Are vacation homes and rentals becoming the primary use of existing housing? What do you think needs to happen with regard to the housing challenges of West Marin?

The shed in this photo can be rented for $75 a day on AirBnB. A five bedroom home in Inverness rents for $1,000 a day through this popular home sharing website. The average longer-term rents in Marin, as a whole, have gone from $1,500 a month to $2,500 over the past 10 years. Rents in West Marin have skyrocketed even more. Every day now we see ads for people looking to rent while almost no ads exist for homes that are available. Many working class families have been forced to leave our region even though they’ve often been a part of this community for decades. Most renters also feel they are not respected the way homeowners are.

Is philanthropy, through CLAM and the Bolinas Community Land Trust, the only solution we can muster? Should the County and the Coastal Commissions pass regulations to address this dearth of affordable housing and the related struggles of low and middle-income residents? Will the repurposing of the Coast Guard Station in Point Reyes Station make a dent in the housing crisis? Or are we simply experiencing, first hand, the economic polarization prevalent throughout all capitalist societies?

Tell us what do you think needs to happen with regard to the housing challenges of West Marin. Listen to KWMR on Thursday, November 19th from 11 to noon and call in during the show on 415-663-8492. Your voice matters!