Santa Clara County Official Presses For More Farmworker Housing

San Jose Spotlight

September 4, 2023

Years of inadequate housing and resources have plagued local farmworkers for decades as they struggle to make ends meet. That might take a favorable turn if Santa Clara County officials prioritize their needs.

Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who represents the more rural District 1, introduced recommendations to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to help address the housing shortage faced by farmworkers. The county needs 700 homes for year-round workers and about double that for seasonal workers. Only 61 homes are in the planning stage.

There are about 8,000 agricultural workers in the county, part of an industry that generates about $340 million annually for the local economy, according to the Santa Clara County 2021 Crop Report.

Maria Orduño, an agricultural worker who lives in the Arturo Ochoa Migrant Center, which has 100 apartments for workers and their families, said that her peers struggle to find affordable housing and often end up sleeping in their cars.

“There should be more communication between elected officials and the employers of farmworkers. There should be more accountability,” Orduño told San José Spotlight through a Spanish interpreter.

San José Spotlight is the city's first nonprofit news organization dedicated to independent political and business reporting. Please support our public service journalism by clicking here.