What to do with an area that produces some 80 percent of the nation's lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach that lacks in housing for migrant workers? Why build more housing of course. Not so fast say "slow-growth" advocates.
Monterey County has some of the most dramatic views in the world and is home to wealthy landowners who live near the Pacific Ocean. Yet, travel inland a few miles near Salinas and one will find that 39 percent of homes have more than 1.5 people per room, as compared with 0.5 percent of all U.S. homes. According to this article, overcrowded conditions are a direct result from housing prices in Salinas that make it the least-affordable place in the country to live. The median resale price of a single-family home in Salinas was $620,000 in June 2006.
The area around Salinas produces around $3.5 billion of crops yearly. The agricultural workers in the area, most who make slightly above minimum wage, can nowhere near afford the type of house that is required to escape the overcrowded living conditions many are faced with.
One solution, says developers, farmers, and immigration advocates, is to build affordable housing for these workers. However, "slow-growth" advocates have mostly blocked this type of housing through the courts by forming LandWatch Monterey County. Critics of LandWatch contend that these people "found Utopia and don't want anything to change."
FULL STORY: In Tony Monterey County, Slums and a Land War
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie