13A Action Items - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Housing Needs Assessment Draft Housing Element 2-21 periods, the labor force is supplemented by seasonal labor, often supplied by a labor contractor. For some crops, farms may employ migrant workers, defined as those whose travel distance to work prevents them from returning to their primary residence after their work ends for the day. Due to the high cost of housing and low wages, a substantial number of migrant farm workers have difficulty finding affordable, safe, and sanitary housing. According to the State Employment Development Department, the average farm worker earned a mean annual income of $32,000 in 2020. This limited income is exacerbated by tenuous and/or seasonal employment status. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), there are three types of farmworkers (permanent residents, migrant farmworkers and H2A visa workers) residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, each with distinct housing needs. Permanent resident farmworkers are permanent residents and most likely require housing that can accommodate families. Migrant farmworkers are seasonal or temporary employees that require housing in the form of single occupancy rooms. H2A visa workers are temporary farmworkers employed under a federal guest work program for no more than 10 months. H2A visa workers can share homes, apartments, or be housed in bunkhouses, dormitories, or single occupancy rooms; however, since very few bunkhouses exist, H2A visa workers compete with permanent farmworkers for scarce affordable homes and apartments. Determining the true size of the agricultural labor force is difficult. For instance, the government agencies that track farm labor do not consistently define farmworkers (e.g. field laborers versus workers in processing plants), length of employment (e.g. permanent or seasonal), or place of work (e.g. the location of the business or field). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, San Leandro had a total of 72 workers classified under farming, fishing, and forestry occupations in 2019. ACS 2015-2019 data includes estimates for residents age 16 and over in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations by zip code. The following zip codes overlap with the City’s boundaries, with the number of residents employed in these occupations as follows: ▪ 94577: 29 ▪ 94578: 75 ▪ 94579: 20 Zip code 94578, with the highest number of residents employed in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations, spans across the southeastern area of San Leandro and includes unincorporated communities of Alameda County. Although San Leandro does not have a large farmworker population, San Leandro is located within 75 miles of land zoned for agriculture, which is within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) measurement for farmworker commute-shed. According to 2019 USDA estimates shown in Figure 2.6, a total of 593 persons were hired as farm workers in Alameda County. Of this total, 305 persons were classified as full-time employees (working 150 days or more), and 288 persons were hired as seasonal employees (hired for less than 150 days).