Farmworker advocates ask Legislature to prioritize farmworker housing and create task force

Ernest (known locally as Buxtard), a farm worker from Milton, told the committee on March 26 that Vermont’s agricultural workforce is critical but lacks stable, affordable housing.

“We need a home. Farm workers and farmers and beginning farmers, we need a home,” Ernest said, citing National Farmworker Awareness Week and describing how farm workers come from diverse origins and often cannot access rental housing because of documentation requirements.

Ernest and other witnesses described three shortfalls: (1) insufficient on‑farm housing and costly barriers for farmers to build housing, (2) a lack of off‑farm rental options for seasonal or migrant workers, and (3) limited congregate or temporary housing options used in other states during migration cycles.

Why it matters: Witnesses said Vermont produces a fraction of its own food supply and relies on roughly 63,000 agricultural workers with about 9,000 working on farms (figures provided in testimony). They said housing insecurity limits the state’s ability to retain and recruit farm labor and undermines food‑system resilience.

Speakers pointed to a 2021 Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) report and to pilot funding and partnerships that have supported repairs and small housing projects; witnesses asked legislators to create a farmworker housing committee or task force to develop a strategic plan and identify funding sources.

Ending: Committee members acknowledged the issue’s complexity and advised witnesses that formal recommendations, data and focused proposals would help legislators and housing agencies evaluate potential programs and funding mechanisms.