Growers Encouraged to Complete Farmworker Housing Study
Ventura County, in partnership with the nonprofit House Farm Workers! and all 10 County cities, will soon begin surveying agricultural employers, farmworkers and housing providers as part of its Countywide Farmworker Housing Study and Action Plan. As part of the plan, the survey will be used to gather data concerning the number of farmworkers in the County and updated farm labor trends affecting agricultural workforce needs. Multilingual outreach staff with the Ventura County Farmworker Resource Program will interview farmworkers one-on-one. Employers will be emailed an online survey link beginning February 24. In-person employee surveys will be conducted March – June.
This plan is intended to:
- Identify the needs of farmworkers in Ventura County
- Determine how the County can invest funds in the right places and types of housing to accommodate much-needed farmworker living spaces
- Develop targeted programs and strategies to address the opportunities and constraints of producing additional housing
- Support agricultural businesses in need of a stable and healthy workforce
- Provide information that can be utilized by County and City governments, affordable housing providers and organizations, farmworker advocate organizations and the healthcare, transportation and education sectors to develop models for housing provision and address gaps in social services
Beyond the survey, the project also includes an advisory council composed of key stakeholders, who have assisted in the development of the survey and who will review draft documents. The project also will host a large event or a series of smaller events across all jurisdictions to share the Draft Action Plan with growers, farmers, housing advocates and other key stakeholders and interested parties.
