With home prices in the Bay Area nearing seven figures, some who can't afford to live on land are settling down on the water, dropping anchor near cities like Sausalito, and living on Richardson Bay, rent-free. The number of these so-called "anchor-outs" has doubled in recent years, and today more than 100 people comprise a community which is just like a floating homeless shelter.
Jimi Mcintosh, who's lived off the shore of Sausalito for years, says given his finances, he has no other choice. "It's impossible to live on land, making what I make, even working full time." Sausalito Police Chief John Rohrbacher took a tour of some of those aging vessels with generators and all kinds of household items. "It's the issue for responding fire or police if we have to go on board," Rohrbacher said. "But it's also a problem for the people that live on it because they can't get off when there is fire." Other dangers include boats that break anchor in storms, flying debris, and the environmental damage caused by dumped trash and human waste, police say.
While some contend anchor-outs add to the color and character of this tourist town, others see an eyesore and argue it's unfair for taxpayers to continually support a community living illegally. Connie Strycker, who owns a waterfront home in the city of Belvedere, says anchor-outs bring a lot of trouble. "The police are really coming over with a weapon—a very heavy boat—that smashes into our docks and causes very expensive damage to our homes," Strycker says.
Covering more than 900 acres, Richardson Bay is managed by regional and state agencies. It's a complex partnership that means different waters have different rules. But in Sausalito, a crackdown on anchor-outs has reduced the number of illegal vessels from 90 in 2017 to just over a dozen today. Police admit some just sailed somewhere else.
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