Board approves nearly $9.5 million in county funds to advance Point Reyes Coast Guard affordable housing project

The Marin County Board of Supervisors on March 25 approved an amendment to an exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) and authorized county funding to help advance long‑planned affordable housing on the former U.S. Coast Guard property in Point Reyes Station.

The board approved a combined county commitment of $9,300,000 (staff recommended $4,400,000 from the county Housing Trust Fund plus a $4,900,000 fronting from Measure W community housing funds, to be repaid to the trust over five years). The funding is intended to make the project competitive for state Joe Serna Farmworker Housing funds and for Low‑Income Housing Tax Credits — the major sources expected to finance the estimated $54.4 million redevelopment.

The county bought the 32‑acre site in 2019 after years of community advocacy; the property includes existing townhomes and barracks that were built for Coast Guard personnel. County staff and the community land trust CLAM selected Eden Housing and CLAM as co‑developers in a 2021 competitive selection process; the developers have since secured land‑use entitlements and are seeking gap financing to begin construction.

Sarah Allen of Eden Housing told the board the team will apply for the Joe Serna program in April and then for federal tax credits; she said a successful funding round would enable the developers to break ground in late 2026 and move residents in by 2028. “This is 100% affordable housing and we expect a mix of household sizes and a set‑aside for farmworker households,” Allen said.

Supporters emphasized the project’s local impact. Jared Russell, executive director of CLAM (the Community Land Trust Association of Marin), described the site as the area’s largest affordable complex and a “once‑in‑a‑generation” opportunity to preserve homes for working families in West Marin. County staff cited a 2024 West Marin housing study that found half of local renters earn very low incomes and that a significant share of households are severely cost‑burdened.

Board members and staff noted complicating factors on the site: the project sits in the coastal zone, includes legacy wells and a need for a wastewater treatment solution, and is remote — all of which increase costs and regulatory complexity. County staff said the ENA amendment makes the $1 formal sale terms and an explicit timeline available so the project can qualify for state and federal programs with deadlines.

The board voted unanimously to approve the ENA amendment and the funding package. Supervisor Rodoni made the motion to approve the ENA amendment, the two funding sources, and related budget adjustments; Supervisor Milton Peters seconded the motion.

Staff said the county will include protections in the final disposition and development agreement (to be returned to the board) so the land remains used for affordable housing in perpetuity or for a long covenant period. Officials also said the developers will conduct affirmative and targeted marketing to reach local households and farmworker families and that some units will be reserved for older adults in renovated barracks.

County leaders and philanthropic partners pledged additional private support at the meeting: Marin Community Foundation announced a $1 million loan commitment to the project. County staff said the Measure W funds — generated by a West Marin bed tax increase — have been a key local source for community projects and noted that use of those funds for housing aligns with earlier voter direction.

The board’s vote clears a major financing milestone for the Coast Guard project and formally signals local support for a funding application that staff described as urgent because of tight deadlines in state competitive funding programs.