San Mateo County OKs $6M for farm labor housing

At least 28 units will be focused on ownership for farmworker households with assistance from California’s Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program.

Manufactured homes provide the opportunity for lower initial construction costs and quicker construction with the added advantage of providing a path to homeownership to extremely low-income individuals and families.

The homes will be on 5 acres about a mile from downtown Half Moon Bay off State Route 92 and was purchased by the city in 2020 to complete the corporation yard, but was not used for that purpose.

“Every family deserves a safe and healthy place to live,” Supervisor Ray Mueller said in a press release. Mueller’s District 3 encompasses the majority of the county’s farmland. “We must absolutely create opportunities for farm workers to live in San Mateo County, as well as invest resources in stabilizing the agricultural economy that provides for farm working jobs.”

Supervisors awarded the building contract to Bigfoot Homes, based in Santa Cruz. Required permits for the project, including a coastal development permit and building permits, remain under review.

A county-commissioned report from 2016 found the need to “improve the quality, availability, and affordability of housing” for farmworkers. The issue received added urgency in the aftermath of the mass shooting that claimed the lives of seven farmworkers across two Half Moon Bay farms.

Farmworker Chunli Zhao killed seven co-workers and their families at two Half Moon Bay mushroom farms Jan. 23, 2023. In the wake of the shooting, probes uncovered squalid and unpermitted living situations for employees. The county helped house the families through a “hodgepodge” of hotels, Airbnbs and community support.

San Mateo County has prepared a draft Concept Plan for the project responding to comments provided by community members over the last several months.

Another housing development proposal is making its way through the public planning process, but is slow going. A proposed 40-unit affordable housing development for senior farmworkers has been delayed twice after planning commissioners continued to voice concerns, most recently at an April 30 meeting.

The 555 Kelly Ave. proposal by applicant Mercy Housing was the subject of questioning by commissioners about the five-story project’s cost, scope, height, parking and office space as well as the Planning Commission’s role in regulation.

The site applies state density bonus law qualifications for 100% affordable housing, contradicting the Local Coastal Program and Land Use Plan — which authorizes only up to 10 units on-site with workforce housing overly designation. Proponents said any concerns were outweighed by the community need.

While the project has promised funding at the city, county and statewide level, further state financing can only be obtained with the relevant land approvals in place, Kelly Hollywood, associate director at Mercy Housing, said.