Why a Focus on
Farmworker Housing?
This edition of My View focuses on current efforts
to improve farmworker housing in Washington.
I chose this focus for two
reasons: First, warm weather brings the harvest season when the flow
of migrant and seasonal farmworkers to our state is the greatest;
second, since 1999, there has been a paradigm shift in our efforts
to provide both seasonal and permanent housing for farmworkers and
we need to recognize both our leadership and our successes, knowing
that we still have a long way to go.
Ranch foreman George Lapsley, year-round employee of
the Knudson Ranch. The Knudson Ranch is owned and operated
by Larry and Martha Knudson, Yakima, Washington.
A March 2005
publication by the Housing Division at CTED entitled
Farmworker Housing in Washington State: Safe, Decent and Affordable
provides a brief yet comprehensive overview of the importance of
migrant and seasonal labor to our agricultural economy and outlines
the significant progress we have made since 1999. Janet Abbott, the
Farmworker Housing Program Manager at CTED, deserves credit for
completing the report and she can provide copies for reading if you
are interested.
Janet also
reports that the Pangborn Camp in East Wenatchee opens June 15th
this year and has been upgraded to house 350 farmworkers, 140 more
than last year. She says the Monitor Park Camp also opens in June.
The highly successful Infrastructure Loan Program that helps growers
put water, sewer and electrical systems on their farms to house
seasonal farmworkers in Rent-a-Tents, will be restarted in
mid-summer after a new staff person is hired and a new contractor to
operate the program is selected. Each of these programs is outlined
in more detail in the CTED publication.
Washington is
now a national leader in efforts to improve farmworker housing. This
is exciting and reflects the hard work and commitment of hundreds of
individuals over the last 25 years and the growing recognition on
the part of the Legislature, the Governor’s office and the
agricultural community that providing decent, affordable housing for
farmworkers is absolutely essential to our agricultural economy.
The four
articles below chronicle successful efforts to increase the supply
of decent, affordable housing and living situations for the
farmworkers that harvest our crops. Combined with the CTED
publication, I hope it gives you some sense of why I am excited to
focus on this subject.
The Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing: 26 years, nearly 1,000
homes—and much more on the horizon
The Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH), the Yakima-based
nonprofit, has been developing affordable, good-quality rental
housing for farmworkers and other low-income rural Washington
residents since 1979. Last year, ORFH celebrated its 25th
anniversary. More importantly, with the completion of homes in
Grandview that are being built in concert with the Diocese of Yakima
and other partners, ORFH will top the 1,000 unit mark—as a developer
for affordable housing for low-income farmworkers. That translates
into homes for approximately 5,000 people in rural Washington.
Marty Miller,
Director
Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing
Marty Miller, ORFH’s director, is realistic about the progress
already made. “We’re very proud of this accomplishment. Yet when you
look at the overall farmworker housing demands in the state, we’ve
got a long way to go. We’re very fortunate to have had this kind of
long-standing success, and there have been many committed board and
staff members along the way.”
Ironically, ORFH got its start because 26 years ago, some of the
available federal resources for farmworker housing were undersubscribed. ORFH was established to target those funds to build
farmworker housing in Washington. “Unfortunately,” Marty laughs,
“undersubscription is no longer a problem.”
A focus on getting homes built
Throughout its 26 years, ORFH’s vision has remained fixed on
increasing the supply of affordable rental housing for farmworkers
and other rural residents. “We’re very production driven—we don’t
directly own or manage homes,” Marty explains. “That was a decision
made by the founders and some of the early board members. Their view
was that local ownership and oversight were the best methods of
control—and being responsive to each community. That’s why we always
work in partnership with other groups who act as the owner or
manager.”
One fine example is ORFH’s work with Chelan County/Wenatchee Housing
Authority on Heritage Glen in East Wenatchee, pictured below.
Although the majority of rental homes ORFH develops are designed for
year-round occupancy, they’ve incorporated more seasonal units in
recent years.
17
permanent homes for year-around farmworkers located at Heritage Glen
in East Wenatchee, Washington
Completed in 2002, Heritage Glen was the first in the
state that combined both on the same site: 18 seasonal and 17
permanent homes for farmworkers. Marty acknowledges that both needs
are critical and distinct: “They carry with them a whole different
set of financial and operating needs, because they operate very
differently. Really, it’s going to require a greater degree of
collaboration to solve these needs.”
Collaboration is critical to addressing the spectrum of housing
needs
Talking with Marty underscores the positive momentum that’s being
gained by increased collaboration. ORFH exemplifies the partnerships
that are going to make a significant difference in growing the
housing opportunities for Washington’s farmworkers. This
organization works all over the state—including Western
Washington—with numerous sponsoring partners to get homes built.
Partners include communities and community organizations,
nonprofits like the Diocese of Yakima and other church groups,
individual growers and grower groups.
In fact, ORFH and the Washington Grower’s League recently entered
into a memorandum of understanding: “We’ve been working together to
develop a model where growers can financially participate in an
affordable housing development that would serve agricultural
employees. We’ve made a lot of progress on this and have been
actively talking with growers and Ag industry folks.”
Marty is also pleased about seeing the growing interest from the
private side in participating in farmworker housing solutions. ORFH
has been supporting the new Washington State Farmworker Housing
Trust’s larger-scale efforts to bring philanthropic funding into the
state as a resource for farmworker housing to help leverage public
investment.
On other fronts, ORFH co-sponsors a tri-state biannual conference,
with Oregon-based CASA and the Idaho Migrant Council, to educate
sponsors on farmworker housing ownership and management. The 5th
Farm Worker Housing Asset and Property Management Conference will be
held June 16 and 17 in Kennewick. “We know that operations and
management are the absolute key to long-term success and we’re very
committed to supporting our sponsors in this,” he emphasizes.
Marty has led ORFH since early last year, but has been with the
organization as a developer since 1993. It’s been a pleasure to see
ORFH grow and flourish over the past quarter-century.
After a full day there’s still enough energy
for a pick-up game in front of the 18 seasonal units of Heritage
Glen in East Wenatchee, Washington. ORFH, the developer, emphasizes the
importance of on-site play areas for tenants of all ages
He says a strong focus for ORFH right now is “how to better
articulate the benefits of affordable housing to local communities.
I think there’s not always the level of understanding that we—who
are in it every day—have. We like to joke around the office that
‘everybody loves us until we pick a site.’ We’d like to communicate
to communities the benefits of affordable housing that are beyond
the housing itself—job creation, financial stability of the families
who live there, improved performance at school—in a better way.
There are so many positive outcomes as a result of decent housing.”
Mario Villanueva and the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services:
Building homes, cultivating self-advocacy for farmworkers and
educating communities
At the Commission we talk a lot about the importance of
partnerships. In addressing the urgent need for decent, affordable
farmworker housing, not only do we need to pool our resources—we
need to cultivate new ones. I don’t think anyone exemplifies this
better than Mario Villanueva in his work as director of the Diocese
of Yakima Housing Services.
Mario Villanueva,
Director
Housing Services,
Diocese of Yakima
Mario is the son of a migrant farmworker family originally from
Texas and Mexico who eventually settled in Sunnyside. He was
literally born in farmworker housing. And he’s aware of the needs
that farmworkers have, not only for adequate housing, but also for
the opportunity to develop a voice—to advocate for their needs. In
his work with the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services, he has built
an organization that works to house the rural poor, and educates
communities and the people who live in them.
Mario puts it this way: “We’re wedded to a quality product, but our
attention is not just to construction and building boxes but paying
attention to who lives in the boxes—and what else can be done to
support and encourage self-improvement and growth.”
I’ve known Mario for about 25 years—we first crossed paths in the
late 1970s when I was with the Yakima Housing Authority and he was a
builder based there. In the years since, he has garnered experience
from just about every side of the farmworker housing equation, as a
private builder, then directing a non-profit in Mabton that
renovated housing for the poor, then moving on to the Office of
Rural and Farmworker Housing (ORFH), where he helped develop large
residential projects for farmworkers. He has led the Diocese of
Yakima Housing Services since 2000.
Mario’s current role is a superb fit. As a man with strong religious
convictions and very active with his church, he was among the first
to recognize that the Yakima Diocese was capable of doing more for
its local farmworker parishioners and their communities in the way
of housing.
Since its founding six and a half years ago, the Diocese of Yakima
Housing Services has already developed 205 units of farmworker
housing in Chelan, Yakima, Granger, Mabton, Buena, Mattawa and
Warden. Mario and his team have two projects under construction,
three in development—and many more in the pipeline. They focus their
efforts on seven central Washington counties: Yakima, Klickitat,
Kititas, Benton, Chelan, Douglas and Grant. Of these, five have the
highest number of farmworkers in the state.
One of the organization’s guiding philosophies, explains Mario, “Is
that we’re not just providing farmworker housing, we’re creating
communities.” With every property, a community building and onsite
management is established. Mario and his staff work with families to
create residence councils to establish families’ goals in terms of
education and activities.
They’ve also taken an additional step: creating a new non-profit,
Raices Corp—raices means roots in Spanish. The farmworker residents
have become members, serve on the board of directors and advocate
for their needs. “This is basically unprecedented,” Mario says.
“These are folks who in many instances are not very well educated
and are marginalized by society. Lawmakers typically don’t hear that
voice.”
The Diocese of Yakima Housing Services is expanding its vision
beyond rental housing for farmworkers and their families. They’re
now working on 40 units of senior housing in Yakima at the campus of
the diocese. And, in acknowledgement of the input they get from
communities, they’re also expanding into creating home-buying
opportunities for the rural poor.
One result: New Life in Mabton, pictured below.
This beautifully realized mixed- development encompasses 10 units of
housing for migrant workers and their families and 26 units for
farmworker families who live there year round. Adjacent to these
homes is land that is under development as 22 home-ownership
properties for eligible farmworkers.
This is an organization that gets things done.
Francisco Toledo, Site Manager, New Life Villa, Mabton, WA, property owned by
Diocese of Yakima Housing Services.
Mario is seemingly tireless. He currently serves on a number of
state boards, including the Washington State Farmworker Housing
Trust. He’s helped spearhead the Strategic Community Housing and
Economic Development Plan, a coalition of partners who have a
community and economic development focus. Invited by the City of
Wapato to create a long-term plan for housing development, the
coalition is building a model housing project for farmworkers that
can be replicated on a regional basis.
The recipient of the Commission’s Friend of Housing Award in 2003
and the Housing Assistance Council’s 2004 Skip Jason Community
Service Award, Mario deserves every kudo he’s received for his
vision, commitment and hard work. Here at the Commission, we look
forward to seeing what the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services
accomplishes under his leadership in the next five years.
The Growers League is a key participant in
efforts to create housing
for farmworkers
A key element of the farmworker housing equation is the nature of
the work itself. The greatest numbers of workers are needed during
harvest time. This is typically a short period (often just a few
weeks) in which intense effort is required. Once the crop is in, the
growers’ need for workers reverts to maintenance levels and the
farmworkers move on to a different farm—or to a different crop in
another part of the state or region. There’s an inherent difficulty
in trying to create long-term housing solutions for a population
whose housing needs can be extremely short term.
Mike Gempler,
Executive Director
Washington Growers League
Mike Gempler, Executive Director of the Washington Growers
League, points out that, during the 80s and early 90s, the
legislature focused its efforts on comprehensive solutions that
never gained enough support to pass. “These large omnibus bills
carry great political weight,” Gempler observes, “Which is why they
never got off the ground.”
Rent-a-Tent program makes a difference
Mike credits state senator Margarita Prentice of Renton for
getting things moving by advancing incremental improvements, such as
modifications to zoning regulations or building codes in specific
locations around the state. A much bigger breakthrough came in the
late-1990s in the form of the Rent-a-Tent program. Traditionally,
cherry pickers would bring tents and camp on the grower’s property.
Farmworker advocates had always insisted that the minimum standard
should be conventional solid-structure housing. But as Mike
explains, “A 20-acre cherry farm needs to hire 50 or more people for
a harvest that lasts a week. A larger operation might hire 1200-1500
workers for a two-week period. It doesn’t make sense economically to
build solid-structure housing for this limited use.”
Governor Locke and his representatives were instrumental in
forging a compromise: a proposal that allows growers to provide OSHA[1]-standard
tents for workers during the cherry harvest. These are 14 by 24 foot
military-style tents designed to sleep six people. Growers rent the
tents—along with refrigerators, showers and toilets—for the week or
two when they’re needed. “The Rent-a-Tents are a good fit for this
short-term occupancy niche,” says Mike.
Part of the Rent-a-Tent
Program on a Wenatchee apple orchard (Commission Archives 2000)
“They work well for growers
and they improve the situation for farmworkers. The program has
already provided many thousands of bed-nights of shelter for people
who otherwise would have been camping in substandard conditions
without sanitary facilities.”
In the summer of 2000, the state created an emergency housing
facility at Pangborn Field in East Wenatchee (Pangborn Camp).
This was a community of tents designed to accommodate 210
farmworkers. At the time, Mike recalls, there was a chorus of naysayers who doubted it would work. They said it was established
too late in the season and too far from the worksites.
Dining unit at Pangborn Field tent camp in East
Wenatchee (Commission Archives 2000)
Instead, it
filled quickly; occupants were very happy and it was a big success!
Mike sees Pangborn as a watershed event, because it showed there is
demand for this type of community camp.
Now the model is being
extended to other locations around the state, including the Monitor
Park Camp.
Solid-structure homes important, too
Of course, conventional housing is still needed. In this area,
the Growers League works closely with the Office of Rural and
Farmworker Housing, providing development and technical assistance
to low-income housing developments. When growers express an interest
in developing housing, the Growers League provides planning
assistance in the form of models and development budgets. Mike says
there are currently four to five groups ready to make a commitment
and one or two of these will get built in the coming year.
An important catalyst in this process is the $2.5 million
appropriation for the Infrastructure Loan Program passed by the
state in this legislative session. This money is available to
growers who need a source of capital to help install septic systems,
bring in electric power, foundations and water lines for on-farm
housing.
Armondo Cuellar mowing under and around the trees at the Knudson
Ranch located in the Yakima Valley
The Growers League is also involved with the Washington State
Farmworker Housing Trust (the Trust). Mike is on the board’s
executive committee and serves as Treasurer. He says it’s a great
opportunity for groups who are typically on opposing sides of issues
to come together in support of farmworker housing. As Mike puts it,
“We’re strongly committed to helping the Trust succeed. There’s a
spectrum of housing needs, from niche applications like migrant
seasonal housing all the way to homeownership. Each has benefits,
and different kinds of housing work for people in various
situations. As the Trust gets established, it will be an
increasingly important factor in developing more housing.”
Farmworker Housing is a Win-Win
“At the Washington Growers League, our role is to meet the needs
of agricultural employers for housing. We have a unique perspective,
which is the employer or business perspective.
“In our view, housing is not necessarily tied to a particular
employer. The employer is a key part of the labor-demand curve. We
think grower demand should drive the creation of housing. There is
an equilibrium here, as housing is a major factor in the ability of
employers to recruit and retain a good workforce.
From a business
perspective, the ability to provide housing, giving people a place
to land, is a great attraction, a key asset.
“It’s also good for the community. It gives people a clean, safe
place to stay. Proper housing improves the quality of life for the
workforce. The individuals who come to pick apples, cherries and
other crops are great people who want their belongings to be secure
and who need a place to relax in the evening after they work hard
all day. They need facilities to clean up, wash their clothes, cook
food and relax with other people. They need a decent place to do
that.
George Lapsley also pruning fruit trees at the
Knudson Ranch in Yakima, Washington
“It improves the quality of the community when you have decent
housing for the seasonal migrant workforce. A lot of people win when
we’re able to build housing either on farms or in communities—the
community, the worker, the grower—it’s really a positive.”
[1] Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
The new Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust
brings together
growers, farmworkers and advocates to address long-term housing
needs
It was a pleasure to catch up with Juan Aguilar, Board President
of the new Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust (the Trust),
who stopped by the Commission’s offices in late May to talk about
recent developments. Founded in 2003, the Trust has already made
significant progress in raising awareness about the lack of adequate
housing for farmworkers in our state.
Juan Aguilar,
Board President
Washington State Farmworker
Housing Trust As Juan puts it, “Many farmworkers live in dire housing
conditions. While they are in our state, harvesting our cherries and
apples, cutting asparagus and harvesting hops, many farmworkers live
in their vehicles along the riverbanks; in makeshift tents; or in
overcrowded conditions, renting a one- or two-bedroom apartment with
16-20 people living in that unit. Something had to be done.”
The catalyst was Senator Patty Murray, who secured $180,000 in
funding from HUD to get the project rolling. The Trust is organized
as a nonprofit foundation whose mission is to create a better and
more sustainable agricultural community in Washington by securing
and investing resources to address the full spectrum of housing and
related needs of farmworkers.
The critical first step was to recruit a board which included 16
highly committed individuals with significant expertise in the
different dimensions of the farmworker housing problem. Juan was the
logical choice to head this group. He grew up in the Yakima Valley
and has firsthand experience working in the fields. For the past
seven years he has served as Washington Mutual’s vice president and
community development officer. The special skill he brings to the
table is his ability to identify private and public sector funding
sources that can lend financial support to the Trust’s efforts.
Juan says it was a good strategic decision to include on the
board people with “diverse backgrounds academically and economically
and who are on different sides of agricultural or farmworker issues.
For example, the board includes members who are growers’ advocates
and also representatives of the farmworkers union. These two sides
at many times have been at odds with each other. But on this board
they are able to come together and put aside personal biases and
work to address the single issue of improving farmworker housing.”
The Trust’s initial efforts have been directed at increasing
awareness of the problem and securing support from key
constituencies. Juan first targeted the financial community because,
“In my mind the banks have the most to gain from a labor force that
is gainfully employed. It’s their customer base. Fully employed
farmworkers will deposit earnings in financial institutions and take
out mortgages when they’re ready to transition from rentals to
homeownership.”
In January 2005, the Trust hosted a meeting for the banking
community in the local offices of Fannie Mae. Juan reports that the
bank representatives who heard the presentation came away
impressed—and dumbfounded by the need. All of them pledged support,
either through corporate giving, committing to join the Trust’s
Council of Advisors or providing access to other resources.
Next, the Trust, in conjunction with Senator Murray, approached
local philanthropic groups. Washington Mutual hosted the event in
their boardroom. Attendees included representatives from Paul
Allen’s and Bill & Melinda Gates’ respective foundations, the
Enterprise Foundation and many others. Again, the response was
positive. Bill A. Longbrake, corporate vice chair at Washington
Mutual and Doris Koo of the Enterprise Foundation, led the way with
commitments on the spot. Altogether, the meeting netted $150,000 for
farmworker housing. And discussions are ongoing with other
foundations.
The third major communication initiative was with the Legislature
in Olympia. The Trust provided detailed testimony to Hans Dunshee’s
Capital Budget Committee in support of increasing the Housing Trust
Fund to $100 million. The result was a legislative increase in the
Housing Trust Fund which included increased funds for farmworker
housing. Another $2.5 million was appropriated for the
Infrastructure Loan Program, to help provide necessary water, sewer
and electrical hook-ups for on farm housing.
The Trust has identified three specific objectives for 2005-2006:
Increase the number of seasonal
“beds” from 3,400 to 5,000
Increase the rate of production of
permanent farmworker housing from 250 to 500 units per year
Identify strategies for increasing
homeownership among farmworkers through a statewide survey of
farmworkers this summer and new pilot projects
Juan points out the survey will encompass the 12 most farm-labor
intensive counties in the state and it will help the Trust in three
specific ways: First, to better understand the homebuyer education
needs of the farmworker population; second, to gain insight into
what type of support communities will need in the future; and third,
to learn what types of resources the Trust will need to effectively
address farmworker housing needs in the future.
Sadly for Washington, Juan is about to leave the area and move to
Phoenix. He’ll be heading up a nationwide effort at Key Bank to
develop tribal lending programs. As a result he’ll be stepping down
as the Trust Board President. However, he plans to stay actively
involved with the work of the Trust, and I’ve no doubt we’ll be
hearing from him in his new capacity in the future. Best wishes Juan
in your new position!
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
About Us
The Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a self-supporting
agency that provides below-market financing to buy, build or
preserve affordable housing and nonprofit capital facilities. The
Commission builds partnerships with the private sector to raise
capital needed to further these social and economic objectives at no
cost to the taxpayers of Washington State. For more
information about the Commission and its work, visit
www.wshfc.org or call
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