BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                          AB 1580
                                                          Page  1

Date of Hearing:   April 14, 1999

    ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 
                      Alan Lowenthal, Chair
       AB 1580 (Florez) - As Introduced:  February 26, 1999
  
SUBJECT  :   Farm Worker Housing 

  SUMMARY  :   Requires the Department of Housing and Community  
Development (HCD) create a strategy for the development of farm  
labor housing and establish a task force to assist in the  
development of the strategy.  Specifically,  this bill  :

1)Requires that the task force include representatives of state  
  housing departments and agencies involved in the planning and  
  production of housing, infrastructure, services to farm labor,  
  agricultural organizations, other organizations serving farm  
  laborers and low-income residents in rural farm areas.

2)Requires that the strategy include the following:  
  identification of impediments to the production of adequate  
  farm labor housing, sources of funding, identification of  
  innovative project financing that could serve as a model for  
  other projects, projected farm labor housing need, and  
  identification of measures that could be implemented to meet  
  the current and projected need.

3)Requires HCD to report to the Legislature by July 1, 2000,  
  regarding its strategy for farm labor housing.    

  EXISTING LAW  

1)Establishes the Farmworker Housing Grant Fund within HCD for  
  the purposes of making grants to local entities or non-profit  
  corporations to assist in the construction or rehabilitation  
  of housing for agricultural employees and their families.

  FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown

  COMMENTS  :   

This bill has been put forward to develop a specific strategy  
for the provision of farmworker housing in California.
  
  The author states that this bill has been put forward because  








                                                          AB 1580
                                                          Page  2

there exists no specific strategy for the development of farm  
labor housing in California. The author argues that past studies  
of the issue have focused on the need for low-income housing in  
general and have lacked a focus on the unique problems  
associated with the housing of farm laborers. The author also  
argues that current HCD practice does not require a  
comprehensive strategy that specifically addresses the provision  
of farm labor housing. The financing of farm labor housing is  
complex, often requires the participation of numerous funding  
sources, and is changing.  

The author argues that the traditional funding sources for farm  
labor housing have significantly changed. In past years,  
California was able to obtain farm labor housing funds from the  
U. S. Department of Agriculture without a state funding match or  
considerable effort. However, as the application process for  
federal money has changed, it has become increasingly necessary  
for California to leverage its own money and efforts in order to  
secure federal money. The establishment of the Farm Labor Tax  
Credit and a $32 million award from the California Endowment to  
the Rural Community Assistance Corporation for farm labor  
housing and associated services means that there is a need for  
an integrated strategy that will focus efforts to secure housing  
for farm laborers, not just repeat efforts. The author believes  
that a comprehensive strategy must be developed in order to 1)  
address how these and other efforts will fit into the puzzle of  
obtaining money, and 2) finance adequate housing for farm  
laborers.  
  
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

  Support  
California Rural Legal Assistance
Western Center on Law and Poverty
Western Growers Association

  Opposition   
  None
  
Analysis Prepared by  :    Patrick O' Donnell / H. & C.D. /  
(916)319-2054