The Board of Supervisors of the San Mateo County allocated $1 million Tuesday to an expansion effort to build affordable housing for local farmworkers.
"We are 100 percent committed to this effort," said San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 includes most of the county's farmland. "This $1 million represents the start-up costs needed to move quickly."
The funds, from Measure K's half-cent sales tax, the council said in a statement, will help cover necessary costs for planning, project management and other work.
He also noted that he is seeking $5 million in state funds from the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program as part of the overall effort to improve living conditions for coastal farmworkers.
Action gained urgency after the tragic January 23, 2023 shooting at two coastal farms that killed seven people and seriously injured one.
The mass shooting drew attention to farmworkers living in overcrowded conditions in unauthorized facilities, a situation many local officials called unacceptable.
The County is currently working with the City of Half Moon Bay to identify and develop a potential site that could house 45-50 units of manufactured housing for low-income farmworker families.
Mueller said he also expects grants from the state to build affordable housing for local farmworkers.
“All of our farmworker families deserve a safe and healthy place to live. If we're going to make sure we maintain a thriving farming community on our coast, what we need more than anything is affordable housing for our farmworkers and their families."
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