Receive update on the Agricultural Labor Report regarding the needs of farmworkers in Yolo County, approve additional County actionable strategies, and direct provision of the 2017-18 $75,000 budget allocation to the County Health and Human Services Agency to operate the farmworker outreach coordinator program. (No general fund impact) (Blacklock/Jhajj)
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On July 26, 2016 the Board of Supervisors directed that an Agricultural Labor Ad Hoc Board Subcommittee be formed to gain a better understanding of the needs of farmworkers in Yolo County. Supervisors Saylor and Villegas were subsequently appointed to the Subcommittee.
Through this subcommittee an outreach of stakeholders was conducted during the Spring/Summer of 2017 to determine the needs of farmworkers and potential strategies to address those needs at the local level. Information was gathered through interviews with representatives from seventeen organizations as well as farmworkers in various locations of Yolo County. The organizations consulted specialized in the fields of medical care, education, housing, legal services, and other assistance services.
Those interviewed were asked questions pertaining to seven major categories: Medical Access, Housing, Food Security, Transportation, Education, Labor Force, and Additional Concerns. Farmworkers were also interviewed directly, either individually or in groups in various locations in Yolo County. The information gathered was formed into an Agricultural Labor Report (Attachment A) that details the issues facing farm workers and the strategies to assist, as identified by those interviewed.
The Agricultural Labor Report was received by the Board of Supervisors on September 26, 2017. While some of the issues identified in the report reached beyond the grasp of the County or local stakeholders to solve, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to implement a number of strategies deemed County actionable.
Status on County Actionable Items.
The table, shown in Attachment B: County Actionable Strategies, provides a complete list of the strategies deemed County actionable and an update on the progress made for each item.
Some successes made on the strategies include the County’s passage of a resolution supporting immigrants, the provision of free citizenship information, funding provided for legal assistance for immigrants, and funding of a code enforcement officer position to assist in improving housing conditions in the community.
In addition to these successes, the County is currently developing a low cost career training program for farmworkers, preparing for a pilot project for increased rural transportation through the Yolo County Transportation Advisory Committee, and advocating at the state and federal level for farmworker housing and support of immigrants.
A recent review of the County Actionable Strategies by the Agricultural Labor Ad Hoc Board Subcommittee resulted in a recommendation to include additional items. These new strategies (included in the Attachment B table) are listed below as follows:
- Explore increasing affordable housing for farmworkers via tax annexation agreements and/or as an element of development agreements.
- Explore availability of parcels in the unincorporated areas for use in establishing farmworker affordable housing.
- Explore the creation of farmworker housing through grower contributions, similar to the Napa Valley model.
- Determine an estimate for the number of farmworkers in Yolo County along with their housing and food security needs; potentially through a partnership with a university.
Farmworker Outreach Coordinator
In addition to the new action items, the subcommittee also discussed a proposed plan for the second year of the farmworker outreach coordinator program to occur through the County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA).
For the first year of the program, the County contracted with Rise, Inc. to hire a farmworker outreach coordinator to help reduce the barriers that prevent farmworkers from accessing services for which they qualify. Specifically, the coordinator’s directive was to outreach to farmworkers at their place of work, organize two informational farmworker conferences, and coordinate a collaborative of stakeholders to address other farmworker needs as identified in the Agricultural Labor Report. Due to the scope of work and range across the county, RISE, Inc. decided to not pursue the contract for a second year.
As a result, for the second year of the program, HHSA has proposed hiring an Agricultural Labor Coordinator. This position would be located in the Service Branch of HHSA and would conduct outreach to farmworkers at their place of work as well as coordinate the collaborative of stakeholders that RISE, Inc. began to help identify and address farmworker needs. Since the position would be embedded in HHSA, the individual would have greater ease in signing farmworkers up for services and would have the added benefit of working alongside the HHSA Employer Program Coordinator to connect job seekers to employers in the rural agricultural sector.
The total cost of the position, including benefits, is $150,000. In FY 2019-2020, $75,000 of this cost could be provided from the Board’s previous $75,000 allocation for the second year of a farmworker outreach coordinator program. The additional $75,000 would be billed to social services programs. It is estimated in future years that the full cost of the position would be covered by social services programs.
The specific objectives of the proposed HHSA Agricultural Labor Coordinator are provided in Attachment C. |