MEHC statement on Point Reyes ranchers and housing

Included in the “MEHC Coming Up Week of January 13” newsletter was the following statement in response to the decision in Point Reyes that could harm families.

MEHC is deeply troubled by the apparent exclusion and neglect of families residing and working on the ranches throughout this process.  MEHC stands for the belief that environmentalism and healthy communities can and must coexist. The scarcity of affordable and safe housing in West Marin will force many low-income and historically marginalized families to leave their jobs, schools, and support systems. The $2 million allocated for tenant relocation is woefully inadequate, especially given that these vital community members had no voice in the litigation or negotiations.  MEHC celebrated the publication of the West Marin Housing Study which brought to light the appalling realities of the housing crisis for low-income families and reparative solutions.  We hate to think that the work put into this study, and the optimism it produced, was all in vain.