Income restrictions make some farmworkers ineligible for workforce housing, but affordable rural housing remains largely out of reach.
A workforce housing program administered by the Department of Agriculture fails to reach farmworkers who need it most, reports Rae Solomon of KUNC and Harvest Public Media.
This is because the USDA Off-Farm Labor Housing Program includes household income caps based on area median income (AMI), which often disqualifies farm workers. According to researcher Richard Stup, “Farm wages have been going up faster than non-farm wages.” Meanwhile, units reserved for farm workers sit empty while workers struggle to find other housing they can afford, particularly in rural areas with limited housing stock.
Marty Miller, executive director of the Office of Rural and Farmworker Housing in Washington state, “says ag workers in other states - like Washington, Oregon, California and Texas - have the same problem. He hopes the federal government will adjust the income rules so housing remains available for the ag workers who so desperately need it.”
FULL STORY: Federal affordable housing program for agricultural workers falls short in Colorado
Regional Housing Needs Allocation Reform Bill on Gov. Brown's Desk
The lone survivor of Sen. Scott Wiener's trio of "Housing-First Policy" bills awaits a decision by Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 828, intended to increase the amount of land zoned for housing in California cities, was weakened by amendments.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
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Santa Barbara Could Build Housing on County Land
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Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
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Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont