The San Mateo County announced Tuesday the launch of a task force committed to improving the living conditions of agricultural workers residing in employer-provided housing.
The county council said the task force will ensure compliance with local and state rules and regulations affecting the health and safety of employer-provided housing for farmworkers and their families.
According to local regulations, farm operators must obtain county permits if they provide housing for five or more workers.
The announcement comes after the January 23 mass shooting, which revealed that displaced farmworkers working on those farms were living in unauthorised housing in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.
Due to the high likelihood of other housing for unpermitted farmworkers, the total number of farmwork sites is unknown.
The task force will rely on complaints and relevant state and local laws to identify any unpermitted farmworker housing sites. The focus is on improving living conditions at all farmworker housing sites throughout the county.
“I am very grateful to have the vocal support and partnership of our county’s agricultural community leaders, as well as our county’s farmworker advocacy stakeholders, as we conduct this work,” said County Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 includes much of the county’s farmland.
“We understand that many farmers and ranchers in the county are doing things the right way, providing legally permitted farmworker housing. But the goal must be 100 percent compliance, to find those living in the shadows, who need help. This work will ensure that all farmworkers live in a safe, healthy, legally permitted home,” he added.
The task force includes the County Planning and Building Department, County Environmental Health, Department of Agriculture/Weights and Measures, the County Attorney's Office and the District Attorney.
“It is imperative that these members of our community are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve and that starts with safe and healthy housing,” said County Executive Mike Callagy.
The county’s $100 million-a-year agricultural industry relies on a mix of migrant and more permanent workers whose children are enrolled in local schools. Yet farmworkers who rely on employer-provided housing are often reluctant to speak out or complain for fear of losing their jobs and homes, even if they are substandard.
Employer-owned farmworker housing is subject to regulations requiring minimum housing and safety standards.
The goal, county officials said, is for agricultural operators to voluntarily work with the county to remediate unauthorized housing and bring the homes into compliance with health and safety codes.
“If they want to comply, we will work with them,” Callagy said. “If not, we will use every tool available to ensure these members of our community have safe and healthy housing. We simply cannot delay.”
The county said it has been providing emergency housing and supportive services to 19 families displaced by the shooting since the Jan. 23 tragedy.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday, February 14, 2023, on a proposal to allocate $750,000 to house displaced workers and also seek donations from the community to assist families.
The agricultural industry in San Mateo County, which stretches primarily along the coast from roughly Montara to the Santa Cruz County line, includes a mix of small and large producers.
A 2017 U.S. Department of Agriculture Census of Agriculture counted 241 total farms in San Mateo County. Of these, 224 were less than 500 acres; 17 were 500 acres or larger.
While 57 percent of farms hire agricultural labor, according to the census, data on employer-provided housing is not provided.
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