SB829
Senate Bill 829: Farmworker Housing is a bill introduced in the 2018 California State Senate by Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Andy Vidak (R-Hanford). It would facilitate the creation of farmworker housing on surplus farm land in agricultural communities.
See California housing legislation 2018 for all housing bills.
Summary
Legislative Counsel's Digest:
"Existing law, the Employee Housing Act, requires a person operating employee housing, as defined, to obtain a permit to operate that housing from the agency that enforces the act, which can either be the Department of Housing and Community Development or a city, county, or city and county that assumes responsibility for enforcing the act.
"This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would expand the Employee Housing Act to (1) further incentivize the creation of farmworker housing in agricultural communities, (2) authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to partner private agricultural operators with independent nonprofits that will manage and operate residences, and (3) preserve and protect the civil rights of tenants living in employee housing."
Summary from Senator Scott Wiener:
"SB 829 – Expanding Farmworker Housing While Maintaining Strong Worker Protections.
Joint Authored by Senator Andy Vidak (R-Hanford).
The state’s housing shortage isn’t just an urban problem – it affects rural areas, particularly those that depend on agriculture. Many farms have surplus land that could be used to build safe and secure housing for farmworkers, but the land needs to be rezoned. Unfortunately, this rezoning is often blocked by communities that don’t want housing for farmworkers. This leads farmworkers to be housed in unsafe and crowded conditions, like in distant motels or in their cars, and hurts our ability to draw workers to California’s farms."
Bill Text
SECTION 1.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would expand the Employee Housing Act to (1) further incentivize the creation of farmworker housing in agricultural communities, (2) authorize the Department of Housing and Community Development to partner private agricultural operators with independent nonprofits that will manage and operate residences, and (3) preserve and protect the civil rights of tenants living in employee housing.
Notes
comment by Tim McCormick:
"I've heard that in many cases at least in California, rural land zoned agricultural/logging/ranching, as are apparently many unfarmed rural properties, recan add significantly more housing (worker housing) if it shows around $80k of food revenue, which could be something small and specialized like hydroponics, herbs, honey from clover. Noted by friends who with me are envisioning an eco/maker village on theor 180 acres in northern California. (see: bit.ly/summit-station). And legislation was just introduced in California state legislature by Scott Wiener to ease addition of farm-worker housing, details to come. #SB829" https://www.facebook.com/sam.smith.311/posts/10100114967725851.
References
- California Legislative Information. "SB-829 Employee housing: farmworker housing.(2017-2018)."
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180SB829.
- Wiener, Scott. "Senator Wiener Introduces Housing First Legislative Package to Continue Work to Fix California’s Housing Shortage."
http://sd11.senate.ca.gov/news/20180104-senator-wiener-introduces-housing-first-legislative-package-continue-work-fix.