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Half Moon Bay hears farmworker housing study; displaced families moved into Stone Pine Cove
Summary
Urban Habitat presented a farmworker housing study based on interviews with 22 coastside farmworkers; two farmworkers gave testimony. City staff reported 12 displaced families have moved into Stone Pine Cove and summarized philanthropic and city funding used for interim housing.
Urban Habitat presenter Amanda Chang summarized a coastside farmworker housing study and policy recommendations after interviewing 22 farmworkers, and two farmworkers testified to the City Council about rent burdens and housing instability.
The study’s authors and speakers described three recurring problems: rents that exceed farmworker incomes even in subsidized housing, widespread overcrowding and poor housing conditions, and fear of losing housing tied to employment. “Rents were too high for farm workers' incomes even in subsidized housing such as Moonridge,” Amanda Chang said during her presentation. Farmworker Uriel told the council, “I'm here tonight to ask you to continue advocating for truly affordable housing.” Vicente, another farmworker who spoke, said, “Rent here is just too expensive. I'm here tonight to ask you to please keep fighting for more affordable housing.”
Why this matters: council members and staff framed the study as local evidence of housing instability for workers who support the coastside economy. In a separate city staff update on interim housing for families displaced by a 2023 shooting, Julissa Acosta reported the city previously allocated $300,000 from its affordable housing fund in March 2024 and partnered with philanthropies to secure additional funding so displaced families could be housed while the Stone Pine Cove development was completed. Acosta said philanthropic contributions included roughly $464,000 and a later $225,000 from Sobrato Philanthropies, Silicon Valley Community Foundation and other partners; she told the council that doing so allowed the city’s previously requested $300,000 to “remain untouched in our affordable housing fund.”
City staff provided counts and timing related to occupancy at Stone Pine Cove. According to Julissa Acosta’s report, 12 families from the displaced group have moved into Stone Pine Cove and another round of contract signings has been started for about six more families; the site has 46 units allocated for farmworkers and staff said roughly half the units were occupied with the rest expected to be filled in the fall. Acosta said the county is administering the tenant screening and prioritization process for remaining units and that the city and philanthropy worked jointly to support interim housing.
Council reaction and next steps: council members thanked the presenters and raised the city’s ongoing fiscal constraints. Council members urged that policy recommendations in the study—funding for community organizing, tenant protections tailored to farmworker living arrangements, proactive rental inspection programs, and community-ownership models—be considered as the council and county pursue housing and displacement-prevention work. Staff urged the council to review the full policy and interview summary documents that accompany the presentation and to consider coordination with county advisory bodies that focus on farmworkers.
Ending: staff left the council with two packets: a policy report with recommendations and a separate compilation of interview summaries from the 22 farmworkers; council members and staff indicated they would read the materials and consider policy follow-up and coordination with county and philanthropic partners.
