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By Community Land Trust Association of West Marin (CLAM)

West Marin is defined both by its land and its people. Much of the land here is protected by ranchers, conservationists, park agencies, and land trusts, each caring for the land with a different vision of what “protecting” that land actually means. That patchwork of stewardship is part of what makes this region so extraordinary. It’s also part of what makes housing here so challenging.

So when a local conservation organization reached out to CLAM about an available home on one of West Marin’s most treasured nature preserves, it was a signal that something is shifting in how we think about land, community, and who belongs here.

CLAM and All Hands Ecology (formerly Audubon Canyon Ranch) might not seem like natural partners at first glance. All Hands Ecology is a land-based conservation organization, and guardians of more than 5,000 acres of sensitive habitat across Marin and Sonoma counties, including the 1,000-acre Martin Griffin Preserve in Stinson Beach.

CLAM is in the business of affordable housing, acquiring land and removing it from the speculative market to ensure it serves West Marin’s working families.

Both organizations, in their own ways, are in the business of protecting land from forces that would exploit it. Conservation organizations often hold land in their care and steward land to safeguard ecosystems. Community land trusts do something analogous with housing, holding land in community ownership so that homes remain affordable, generation after generation. The same impulse — to steward land for the long-term benefit of the community — animates both.

Historically, these two missions have often put conservation and housing advocates in opposing corners. Open space protections can restrict development. Habitat preservation can mean fewer sites for homes.

The Story Behind the Crum House Partnership

The Martin Griffin Preserve has been protected from development since 1962, when it was saved from development through the efforts of conservationist L. Martin “Marty” Griffin and a community of dedicated volunteers. Operating for generations as a family-run dairy ranch before its conservation, it now shelters more than 25 species of mammals, 90+ species of landbirds, and miles of coastal grasslands and redwood slopes overlooking Bolinas Lagoon. Several buildings sit within the preserve, legacy structures from its ranching past.

One of those structures is Crum House, a 2-story, 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath home that sits at the end of a long driveway off Highway 1 in Stinson Beach. For more than two decades, it served as the residence of a longtime All Hands Ecology staff member before she retired. In need of repairs, it sat vacant for a few years. And without dedicated resources, it was unclear what would become of it.

Tom Gardali, CEO of All Hands Ecology, is a West Marin resident who knows firsthand what the housing crisis means for the people who live and work here. When Crum House became available, his first instinct was to see if it could be put to use as an affordable housing solution for a local family. Through conversations with Jarrod Russell, executive director at CLAM, the two were able to forge a unique partnership that stands to serve the needs and purposes of both organizations.

A New Model for Housing in West Marin

Under the agreement, CLAM will lease Crum House from All Hands Ecology for an initial five-year period, with the expectation that both parties will reassess the needs and use of the home at that milestone. CLAM will manage the property and complete necessary repairs before welcoming a displaced ranch family into the home.

Both Tom and Jarrod put significant care into drafting a lease agreement strong enough to serve as a template that could be replicated for other landowners, conservation organizations, or private citizens who hold underutilized residential properties and who want to contribute to housing solutions without surrendering their land or their mission.

This has opened up an important opportunity. CLAM’s core model — acquiring and/or developing property and preserving it for affordable housing — requires considerable capital upfront and can take months and years to make available for families to move into. Crum House and similar opportunities allow already-built homes to be put to use for families in need of housing with far less upfront investment. It’s a complementary approach, one that meets the urgency of West Marin’s housing crisis through creative, trust-based relationships with existing land and property stewards.

Caring for People is Caring for the Land

Crum House doesn’t solve West Marin’s housing crisis. But it demonstrates something vital: that the organizations holding land in trust can find each other across the usual dividing lines and build bridges between their mission and vision.

“The board and staff of All Hands Ecology are thrilled to partner with CLAM to provide affordable housing for the West Marin community,” says Tom. “Our work intentionally extends beyond traditional environmental boundaries because we believe that caring for people is inseparable from caring for the planet.”

We couldn’t agree more.

Exploring housing partnerships

CLAM is always looking for landowners and organizations interested in exploring housing partnerships. If you hold land or property in West Marin and want to discuss how it might serve the community, contact them.

Learn more at https://www.clam-ptreyes.org