San Mateo County supervisors back urgent plan to fix and expand housing for agricultural workers
Redwood City, California – This week, San Mateo County supervisors acted quickly to support much-needed housing for farm workers in the area. On Tuesday afternoon, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously 5–0 to allocate $2 million to a newly formed loan fund meant to increase low-cost housing for agricultural workers.
Reached during a public hearing in Redwood City, the decision reflects an acute housing shortage for farm workers and their families spread across the county’s rural areas. Local farmers have found it difficult to keep and grow on-site housing that satisfies contemporary health and safety criteria with agriculture covering large swaths of San Mateo’s interior.
“Our agricultural industry is the backbone of our food system, and it’s struggling here in San Mateo County. We’re taking action to support them,” said Supervisor Ray Mueller, whose District 3 includes the majority of the county’s farmland.
“By working to ensure agriculture has the financial resources available to provide safe housing for farmworkers and ranch hands, we’re strengthening our agricultural economy and building a stronger, more resilient future for every member of our community,” Mueller said.
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Eligible farmers and ranchers may seek financing to restore old dormitories or cottages currently below code under the program’s rules. Property owners have to agree to rent only to low-income farmworkers at rates below the current market to qualify. From necessary repairs—like plumbing, roofing, and insulation—to the building of safe, contemporary living spaces, loans will finance different types of projects.
The board also authorized a credit on borrowers’ loan balance in acknowledgement of the need of long-term affordability. Farmers can speed up repayment and release additional financial advantages by agreeing to rent homes at prices even lower than the basic criteria of the structure.
There will be two phases to the rollout. Phase I highlights the renovation of current residences, using directly accessible money to fix the most urgent health and safety issues. Phase II will set off new building activities assuming leftover funds from the first allocation once such resources are assigned.
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County authorities will directly send program information to all known farmworker housing operators using contact lists created during earlier outreach efforts, so guaranteeing widespread involvement. Supervisors in that earlier push set aside $3 million—money that by the end of 2024 supported the construction or renovation of 16 units of farm labor housing.
Currently exceeding $100 million in gross yearly value, county agricultural output highlights the economic significance of the industry. Many family-run farms have found close, reliable housing to be a stress point as agricultural prices rise and development demands mount.
The new $2 million allotment will be underwritten by Measure K, the half-cent sales tax voters approved countywide. Since its adoption, the tax has offered a consistent flow of “local funds for local needs,” supporting initiatives in public safety, parks, and—now—farmworker housing.
San Mateo officials want to protect the agricultural legacy of the county by increasing the financial toolbox accessible to landowners, so guaranteeing that people who labor in the fields have a safe, respectable home.
