Listen to this note:
The results of the worker housing inspections in Pescadero were presented to the community during the Farmworker Commission meeting, where proposals were made to address the urgent need for these employees to have a place to call home.
Last year, a task force was created to assess and ensure that housing for field workers and unincorporated agricultural/livestock land workers meets minimum habitability standards.
As of July 1, 170 properties were assessed, 128 of them being farmworker dwellings that provide housing for 343 residents. Eighty-one units were found to meet habitability standards while 47 did not.
Of the 47 units that did not meet requirements, 30 needed water supply corrections, 22 needed smoke detectors, 16 needed septic system corrections, 13 needed wiring/electrical repairs, 12 needed primary heat source, 10 needed ventilation, and 6 needed emergency exits and structural safety repairs.
Homeowners were given lists of fixes and time to complete them.
The task force also had proposals for reforms regarding farmworker housing. The first was a new ordinance to ensure that property owners submit to periodic monitoring to ensure that their water supply meets minimum portability standards.
The second is to amend the septic ordinance to reduce the minimum capacity of septic tanks; and the third is to make legal changes by the Local Coastal Program to establish a Coastal Development Permit connection for Farmworker Housing projects, in other words, making the project permitting processes faster.
It should be noted that 15 properties remain to be reviewed, and the final results are expected to be published soon.
At the same meeting, it was announced that the county will open an Office of Labor Standards and Compliance, which will aim to help workers report wage theft, among many other actions.
The plan for this office will be in phases: the first will focus on field, restaurant and construction workers; however, they anticipate that as the organization grows, they will be able to extend their aid to other industries.
Finally, a discussion was held about the possibility of having additional hours for a mobile clinic that can provide service to field workers.
The clinic is expected to open on Sundays for four hours for primary care for adults and their dependents.
It is planned to be stationed in the Coastside Clinic or in the Half Moon Bay BookstoreThe county plans to apply to the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund this expansion.
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