Rep. Panetta introduces farmworker housing legislation

SALINAS, Calif. —U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta introduced the Farmworker Housing Improvement Act Tuesday to enhance affordable housing resources for farmworkers.

"On the Central Coast of California, there is an acute need for available and affordable farmworker housing," Panetta said.

"My legislation will address such a shortage by strengthening the Farm Labor Housing Loan and Grant Program, improving access to information for local non-profits, and increasing quality housing options for our farmworker community," Panetta said.

Monterey County has an expanding agricultural economy that depends on a permanent year-round workforce, said Alfred Diaz-Infante, CEO of Community Housing Improvement Systems and Planning Association.

--Central Coast Spotlight: Farmworkers

"The 2018 Farmworker Housing Study & Action Plan for Salinas and Pajaro Valleys showed that farmworkers are living in severe overcrowded conditions. CHISPA supports Congressmember Panetta's effort to improve and strengthen the USDA Section 514/516 farmworker housing program," Diaz-Infante said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Housing and Community Facilities Program administers funding for Farm Labor Housing and is the only federal program designed to increase access to affordable rental housing for America's farmworkers.

The program's Section 514 loans and Section 516 grants may be used to buy, build, improve, or repair housing for year-round and migrant or seasonal domestic farmworkers.

The act would improve the application process, including by requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to establish an annual timetable for awarding program funds, requiring a Notice of Funding Availability period for the Section 514/516 grant to last for 60 days, increasing the funding award caps, and expanding eligibility for certain legal permanent residents.