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County outlines multi-pronged farmworker housing efforts; ally position and AB 3035 among steps cited
Summary
Staff briefed the committee on a broad set of initiatives to support agricultural workers, including the November opening of Royal Oak Village (72 units, 30 for ag workers), a planned ag-permitting ally role, AB 3035 implementation and regional planning work; the committee received the report.
County staff outlined a suite of ongoing activities aimed at expanding and smoothing agricultural worker housing and permitting in Santa Clara County, and the committee voted to receive the annual work plan update.
“Sylvia Gallegos, deputy county executive, said the county is using the year end to highlight the breadth of work to support farm workers,” Gallegos said in introducing the item. She reviewed multiple accomplishments and ongoing actions across departments, including permitting reform and regional planning.
Gallegos highlighted housing developments and policy advances: Royal Oak Village opened Nov. 20 with 72 units, 30 of which are designated for agricultural workers; the county executive included funding in the recommended budget for an ag-permitting ally position intended to help growers and projects navigate county land-use and building permits; and staff aim to post the job in January and appoint someone by May or June. “Our hope is to post [the ag-permitting ally] quickly in January, begin interviews in late spring, and ideally appoint someone to this role in the May or June time frame,” Gallegos said.
She also told the committee that AB 3035 — state legislation raising the housing unit cap in the county pilot from 36 to 150 — was enacted and will extend the pilot in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. Gallegos noted the county awarded $200,000 in Agriculture Resilience Incentive (ARI) grants to 12 small farms and said the county “worked with USDA to obtain three quarters of a $1,000,000 in additional grant funding to expand the reach” of that program (transcript language preserved as stated by staff).
Planning staff led the development of a Bay Area Regional Ag Plan Framework with a 60-member working group and will bring the framework to the board in early 2025, Gallegos said. The committee also reviewed the county’s recently adopted farmland security zones administrative guidelines (an alternative to Williamson Act protections) to keep prime farmland in production during longer-term contractual agreements.
Supervisors and staff emphasized the need to continue outreach and to focus on South County and other areas where agricultural workers live. Committee members praised the breadth of work and asked staff to continue rapid implementation of the ag-permitting ally role and to follow up on funding opportunities.
A public commenter, Paul Sotto, urged continued attention to farmworker needs and framed housing for farmworkers as an equity and public-health concern. The committee voted to receive the report; Vice Chairperson Subidien and Chairperson Arenas recorded affirmative votes.
Staff said they will advance the regional ag plan framework, post the ag-permitting ally recruitment in January, carry forward the ARI grants and proceed with additional outreach and permitting transformation work in early 2025.
