Listen to this note:
The results of the inspections of housing for workers in Pescadero were presented to the community during the meeting of the Farm Workers Commission, where proposals were made to the urgent need for these employees to have a place to call home.
Last year, an operational group was created to evaluate and ensure that the homes inhabited by field workers and unincorporated agricultural/livestock lands meet minimum habitability standards.
As of July 1, 170 properties were evaluated, 128 of them being farmers' homes that provide homes for 343 residents. 81 units were found to meet habitability standards while 47 did not.
Of the 47 units that did not meet the requirements, 30 required water supply corrections, 22 required smoke detectors, 16 required septic system corrections, 13 required wiring/electrical fixes, 12 required primary heat source, 10 required ventilation, and 6 require emergency exits and structural safety arrangements.
Homeowners were given lists of fixes and time to complete them.
The task force also had proposals for reforms on housing for agricultural workers. The first was a new ordinance that ensures that homeowners undergo periodic monitoring so that the water supply meets minimum portability standards.
The second is to modify the septic ordinance to reduce their minimum capacity; 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 the theft of their wages, 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 could provide service to field workers.
The clinic is expected to open on Sundays for four hours for primary care of adults and their dependents.
It is planned to be parked in the Coastside Clinic or in the Half Moon Bay Bookstore. The county plans to apply to the Health Resources and Services Administration to fund this expansion.
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