The latest official count of West Marin’s homeless population surged for the second time in a row, largely driven by the closure of 12 ranches and dairies in the Point Reyes National Seashore. The count shot up from 120 people to 251, between 2024 and 2026. Known as a point-in-time count, the federally mandated tally is conducted every two years during the last week of January. “The increase in numbers for West Marin is due to improved counting based on increased partnerships with local organizations aware of substandard housing conditions on farms and ranches and new experiences of homelessness due to closures of ranches in the national seashore,” said Gary Naja-Riese, Marin’s director of homelessness and coordinated care. Since the count was conducted on Jan. 28, the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin has located housing for roughly 100 people who were displaced from the seashore after the settlement of an environmental lawsuit last year. Nearly half have moved into permanent homes, while the rest are living in interim housing; the tally considers people living in temporary housing as homeless. In the previous survey, conducted in 2024, homeless numbers rose from 37 to 120; that tally included people who had left substandard housing on a Bolinas ranch and people living in substandard housing at the Martinelli ranch, just north of Point Reyes Station. The Bolinas residents have since moved into interim housing at an R.V park operated by the Bolinas Community Land Trust, while the former Martinelli residents are living in interim CLAM housing. “It will be critical to continue supporting the work of building and identifying new housing opportunities, with partners like B.C.L.T. and CLAM, to see a reduction of these numbers,” Mr. Naja-Riese said. Countywide, the point-in-time count showed a 3 percent increase in homelessness. The most frequently cited cause of homelessness was economic hardship, and nearly two-thirds of those counted said they were experiencing homelessness for the first time. Eighty-eight percent who lacked housing said they had lived in Marin before losing their homes. The number of people experiencing chronic homelessness—those who have been homeless continuously for at least a year or repeatedly over several years—rose sharply, doubling to 438. But because it is a one-day snapshot, the count does not provide a comprehensive picture of the homeless population. The Center for Domestic Peace, a San Rafael women’s advocacy group, noted that homeless surveys typically undercount victims of domestic violence. “Many survivors do not appear in traditional homelessness data because they are staying temporarily with family or friends, moving frequently to remain safe, or navigating a complex path toward long-term stability,” the center said in a statement. “Their experiences remind us that homelessness and housing insecurity exist along a broader continuum than many people realize.”