Housing grant for farmworkers announced in wake of mass shooting
HALF MOON BAY - Farmworkers may find it easier to buy or keep a home in California through a $16 million grant program announced by the state Thursday.
The program follows a mass shooting in Half Moon Bay early this year that left seven immigrant farmworkers dead. Living conditions were unsanitary and housing was unpermitted at the two coastal farms where the shootings took place.
San Mateo County is one of five places in the state where the grant money can be used to build or buy homes for lower-income farmworkers or help farmworkers buy or keep homes.
"California isn't California without our farmworkers," Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "Not only are they our state's economic backbone, but they help us produce over a third of our country's vegetables and three-quarters of the country's fruits and nuts."
The state will award the money through the Joe Serna Jr. Housing Grant program. San Mateo County and Half Moon Bay will partner to buy 28 manufactured homes with $5 million from the state.
About 18 of the homes will be given to households displaced in the shooting. The other 10 will go to extremely low-income farmworker households and those displaced from dilapidated homes.
San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller thanked Newsom for the money, which will help farmworker families live "with dignity in safe, healthy, and affordable housing," he said.
County officials have established a task force to improve housing for farmworkers and have pledged $1 million for the planning costs of farmworker housing.
Besides San Mateo, Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay is getting $1.2 million to help low-income Watsonville families with housing needs.
In Fresno County, $5 million will fund the acquisition of manufactured homes that will help 30 low-income families.
Kern, Madera and Merced counties will share nearly $1 million to provide first-time homebuyer mortgage assistance to 10 low-income farmworker families.
