The Círculo de Esperanza Latina/Latino Circle of Hope is a new committee of Latino leaders who have lived and worked in West Marin for decades. We are deeply alarmed by the severe threat that the low-income housing crisis poses to our community. Without securing permanent and affordable housing for families living in the Point Reyes National Seashore and on the Tacherra and Martinelli ranches, up to 75 families could be forced to leave West Marin within the next 12 months. This crisis is further exacerbated by the outcome of the 2024 presidential election and its anti-immigrant platform, which could displace even more members of our communities.
The Latino working-class community is integral to the fabric of West Marin. If these families are forced to relocate in search of affordable housing, our towns will lose the cultural diversity that defines them, and the impact on our schools and businesses will be devastating. Building a community takes decades. If we lose our Latino members, the changes to our community will be irreparable and irreversible.
We know this is a monumental challenge, and that solutions are complex. However, we strongly encourage those involved in decision making to be guided by the following principles.
Provide resources to the most impacted and those with the greatest need.
1. The Point Reyes National Seashore must continue to provide housing for the families living on the ranches until they can find permanent housing. Any housing conditions that do not meet health and safety standards need to be addressed.
2. People living in the park who stand to lose jobs and housing must be granted at least two years of fair-market rent to use toward new housing. A two-bedroom apartment in Marin costs an average of $3,360 a month for a total of $40,320 a year.
3. Employers need to provide six-month severance pay to each worker who has worked in the park for at least a year, plus an extra month for each five years of work.
Provide mental health and other services to impacted families and children.
1. Nonprofits working with families who are impacted must increase emergency food and case management.
2. Trauma-informed behavioral health services should be provided to children in the schools so they can address the fear and distress of facing the uncertainty of not having secure housing.
3. The children who stand to lose their friends also need to be cared for and receive trauma-informed support.
Develop immediate temporary local housing options.
1. Housing-rights and housing-development organizations must secure or free up at least 20 emergency units for families to use for at least three to six months as they secure permanent housing.
2. Options to prioritize permanent low-income housing for the Latino working families who face eviction from West Marin and whose earnings fall significantly below the poverty line should be considered.
3. Homeowners in West Marin should engage in exploring and building affordable housing options.
Involve those most impacted in the conversations and decisions.
There is currently no representation of Latino workers or Latino leaders in the discussions between National Park Service, the environmental groups, the ranchers and the Nature Conservancy in the settlement talks threatening to end ranching in the park. It is crucial that Latino voices are included to center the needs of the families most impacted by this change.
To add your name in support of these recommendations, please visit circulodeesperanzalatina.org.
The Latino Circle of Hope includes Ámate Pérez, Carlos and Rebecca Porrata, Elvira Xaxni, Maria Niggle, Socorro Romo, Jorge Martinez and Jasmine Bravo, among others.