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.”
Read the full story: Federal affordable housing program for agricultural workers falls short in Colorado
California 'strongly encourages' coastal city to fast-track farmworker housing
The state wants Half Moon Bay to approve a farmworker housing project initially proposed in 2022.
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.
In Nantucket, where over half of homes are for seasonal use, workers struggle to find affordable housing
The island is short roughly 892 to 1,081 rental units.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
A ‘shady’ deal: Chicagoans rally against planned Amtrak maintenance facility
The $900 million facility would allow Amtrak to maintain entire trains in one building, which the company says will reduce delays.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello