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A campaign to build safe and affordable housing for coastal farmworkers received a boost of almost $6 million on Tuesday.
The supervisors of the San Mateo County voted 5-0 to allocate $5,999,360 for the purchase and installation of 47 prefabricated homes for farmworkers and their families, including 19 homes for displaced people after the mass shooting on January 23, 2023.
“Every family deserves a safe, healthy place to live,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 covers most of the county's farmland.
“We absolutely must create opportunities for agricultural workers to live in San Mateo County, as well as invest resources in stabilizing the agricultural economy that provides agricultural jobs,” the official stressed.
Supervisors awarded the construction contract to Santa Cruz-based Bigfoot Homes. Appropriate authorities continue to review the permits needed for the project, including a coastal development permit and construction permits, the county said in a statement.
“It's a bright day in San Mateo County to see this project move forward,” Mueller said at today's Board meeting.
A report commissioned by the county in 2016 found a need to ?improve housing quality, availability and affordability,? for farmworkers, an issue that came to the fore after the mass shooting that claimed the lives of seven farmworkers on two Half Moon Bay farms.
Since the shooting, the city of Half Moon Bay identified a city-owned parcel at 880 Stone Pine Road for farmworker housing. The county, along with the city and numerous partners, is working to create a new neighborhood for farmworkers and their families.
At least 28 units will focus on farmworker home ownership with the help of California's Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Subsidy Program.
Manufactured homes provide the opportunity for lower initial construction costs and faster construction with the added benefit of providing a path to homeownership for extremely low-income individuals and families.
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