HD62 - The Commonwealth's Role in the Provision of Housing for Migrant Workers
Executive Summary: This study was undertaken in accordance with House Joint Resolution No. 111 of the 1988 General Assembly, which requested the establishment of a joint subcommittee to examine the Commonwealth's role in the provision of housing for migrant workers. The resolution called for the joint subcommittee to examine the housing situation for migrant workers and determine the advisability and feasibility of a state role in funding for migrant camps used by the agricultural community. The study was requested because of concern over the lack of adequate housing for migrant workers who contribute significantly to the high standards of diet and nutrition of the citizens of this Commonwealth but who may suffer from malnutrition and live in substandard housing. The availability of decent, safe and sanitary housing for these migrant workers is essential to the economic health of the state as well as the personal health and welfare of the farmworkers, and without them the state's agricultural industry would suffer. In completing its work, the joint subcommittee toured some of the migrant housing and held public hearings in various parts of the state to see for themselves some of the housing and to afford growers, migrant workers and their advocates, and other concerned parties the opportunity to voice their concerns about migrant housing. The joint subcommittee found, and were informed by most interested parties, that the housing conditions for migrant workers have improved considerably in recent years. The greatest improvements were found on the Eastern Shore where, in the past, most of the housing had been substandard. Although many of the problems reported to the subcommittee were unique to a particular geographic area, such as the problem of strong local opposition to the construction of practically any new migrant housing on the Eastern Shore, many of the same problems were found to exist across the state. Primarily, growers reported that they are overburdened with what they view as excessive and confusing regulations and paperwork requirements and that their costs of doing business have increased considerably because of the increased costs of complying with such regulations and maintaining the housing for their workers. They indicated that they realize that in order to continue to attract good workers, they must provide adequate housing and thus are doing all they can financially to upgrade it. A number admitted that improvements are still needed, yet they cannot do them all on their own. Other common concerns reported by growers included pressures from migrant advocacy groups to improve their housing and the continued availability of good workers. Migrant workers are critical to the harvesting of Virginia's crops yet they are becoming increasingly difficult to find because of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which has allowed many migrant workers to gain citizenship and thus find better jobs. Migrant advocacy groups on the Eastern Shore reported that although housing conditions have improved, "deplorable conditions" continue to exist, and without assistance from the state, such conditions will continue. After carefully considering all of the information provided to it, the joint subcommittee determined that because migrant workers are essential to the agricultural community of the Commonwealth and that the ability of Virginia growers to continue to attract good workers depends on their ability to provide adequate housing for them, the state should coordinate its efforts in assisting growers in financing the construction of new or rehabilitation of existing migrant housing. It recommends that: I. The Department of Housing and Community Development devote $1,000,000, with up to $500,000 to be used as matching grants and the remainder being used for revolving low-cost loans, to assist growers in the construction of new and the rehabilitation of existing migrant housing. The Department, however, shall provide that the loans or grants for the rehabilitation of housing-should be available only once to a grower for a particular unit. II. The Virginia Housing Development Authority use its resources to assist growers in their migrant housing endeavors. III. The Virginia Housing Study Commission (i) monitor the efforts of the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Virginia Housing Development Authority in assisting the growers of this Commonwealth in financing the construction of new or the rehabilitation of existing housing for migrant workers; (ii) identify migrant housing as one of its priority items; and (iii) include it as a separate agenda item for future study. The joint subcommittee believes that through this coordination of efforts, the housing conditions of migrant workers will improve. |
Menu
Published Documents
