Rep. Huffman Effort to Support West Marin Affordable Housing Advances in House of Representatives

April 30, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) today announced that the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has approved his proposal to increase the availability of badly-needed affordable housing in West Marin, by giving the County of Marin exclusive first rights to purchase a roughly 30-acre property in Point Reyes Station currently owned by the Coast Guard. The County intends to work with local partners to repurpose the property as affordable housing and community space.

Huffman’s legislative provision was included in the broader Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2015, a bipartisan bill that authorizes Coast Guard and Federal Maritime Commission funding and activities for the next two years. Today’s committee vote was the last step before the full House of Representatives votes on the bill.

“West Marin desperately needs greater options for affordable housing, and this bill provides an opportunity for working families to stay in the region without impacting the existing landscape,” Huffman said. “I’m glad that the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved my proposal, and I thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member DeFazio for their support for this important community priority.”

The Coast Guard currently plans to auction the property, designated as surplus, to the highest public bidder. The provision included in today’s legislation, modeled on H.R. 1402, Huffman’s Point Reyes Coast Guard Housing Conveyance Act, would instead require the Coast Guard to provide the County of Marin the exclusive first right to purchase the property at fair market value.

This effort is widely supported by the community, including:

  • Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM)
  • Coastal Health Alliance
  • Shoreline Unified School District
  • West Marin-Inverness School
  • West Marin Community Services
  • West Marin Senior Services
  • Point Reyes National Seashore Association
  • Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT)
  • Point Reyes Station Village Association
  • Inverness Association Board of Directors
  • Inverness Park Association
  • East Shore Planning Group
  • Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
  • West Marin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
  • KWMR Radio Station Board of Directors
  • Toby’s Feed Barn
  • Point Reyes Farmers Market
  • Saint Columba Episcopal Church
  • Tomales Bay Resort & Marina
  • Black Mountain Artisans
  • Perry’s Inverness Park Grocery
  • Bovine Bakery
  • Cowgirl Creamery
  • Gallery Route One – Artists in the Schools Program
  • Gallery Route One – Latino Photography Project
  • Mainstreet Moms
  • West Marin Fund
  • The Mesa Refuge
  • Coastal Marin Fund
  • Cottages at Point Reyes Seashore
  • Marin County Commission on Aging
  • Petition of Support by local individuals

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