Title
a. Receive a presentation regarding farmworker housing development permit process outreach materials; and
b. Provide direction to staff.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
a. Receive a presentation regarding farmworker housing development permit process outreach materials; and
b. Provide direction to staff.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
The County’s goal is to ensure safe, decent and affordable housing for farmworkers and to increase the number of units to meet the demand for the farmworker work force. To achieve this goal, the Board of Supervisors has directed that farmworker and affordable housing development projects be processed as a high priority. There have been some recent successes and staff continues to find avenues to increase awareness of housing development opportunities.
On March 1, 2021, the Board of Supervisors’ Health, Housing, Homelessness and Human Services Committee requested the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD) and the Health Department-Environmental Health Bureau (EHB) staff highlight accomplishments, provide updated and new outreach materials and identify tools to help the public navigate the County’s farmworker housing permit process. Staff has developed an informational brochure (Attachment A). The purpose of the informational brochure is to promote and provide permitting information for those who may want to develop farmworker housing in Monterey County.
HCD staff is also developing a web page to provide public information for the land use permit process for farmworker housing projects in unincorporated Monterey County. Further, EHB staff are coordinating with HCD staff to make updates to its webpage for employee housing and H2A housing permits, which includes farmworker housing projects. HCD’s web page is currently under development and would incorporate a newly designed Housing Services web page. The Housing Services page would include a link to the newly created Farmworker Housing page where interested parties may find direction and information on the development application process.
Pending direction and feedback from the Board, staff will finalize the brochure by the end of June 2021. The HCD’s farmworker housing webpage is on target to be finalized and published by late summer 2021. HCD staff will work with EHB staff to incorporate needed updates to EHB’s webpage during that timeframe. Staff plans to work with the County Communications Coordinator to issue a press release when the HCD Housing Services website is launched.
Staff requests that the Board of Supervisors consider the draft brochure and outreach approach developed by staff and provide direction to staff.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
EHB is responsible for public health policies and regulations related to farmworker housing, including permit facilitation and inspection of the Employee Housing Programs for H2A workers. EHB staff has been consulted for this project. Due to late submission of this Board Report, the CAO Budget and Analysis Division was not provided adequate time to fully review for potential fiscal, organizational, policy, or other implications to the County of Monterey.
On June 7, 2021, staff presented the draft brochure and update to public outreach materials being developed to the Health, Housing, Homelessness, and Human Services Committee. The Committee provided edits to the brochure that have been incorporated into the draft brochure shown in Attachment A. As requested by the Committee, staff will obtain photos of completed farmworker housing developments to include on the new HCD web page.
FINANCING:
Funding of staff time for this report and to develop the brochure is provided in the FY 2020-21 adopted budget for General Fund, Appropriation unit RMA110, Unit 8528.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
Implementing policies and initiatives to facilitate and implement farmworker housing in Monterey County supports the Board of Supervisors’ Strategic Initiative for Health and Human Services by providing safe and affordable long-term housing alternatives for the County’s agricultural workforce.
__ Economic Development
__ Administration
X Health & Human Services
__ Infrastructure
__ Public Safety
Prepared by: Kathleen Nielsen, Management Analyst II (755-4832)
Reviewed by: Melanie Beretti, HCD Housing and Special Programs Services Manager
Approved by: Erik Lundquist, AICP, HCD Director
The following attachments are on file with the Clerk of the Board:
Attachment A - Draft Brochure