, 2013, 1:00-5:00 PM 15, 2013, 8:00 AM

Transcription

1 Summit Report Motivation Education & Training, Inc Farmworker Housing Summit Thursday November 14, 2013, 1:00-5:00 PM and Friday November 15, 2013, 8:00 AM to Noon

2 Motivation Education & Training, Inc Farmworker Housing Summit AGENDA Thursday afternoon, 1:00 5:00 PM 1:00 Registration Welcome, Introductions, Agenda Review. Overview: Intersection of housing, health, 1:15 and the food production system. MET housing presentation What s New at USDA for Farmworkers and 2:15 the Farm Labor Housing Industry? Luis Esparza, MET Executive Director Kathy Tyler, MET Housing Services Director Henry Searcy, USDA Rural Development, Coordinator for Chronically Underserved Rural Areas, Washington DC 2:45 What s New with Farm Labor Housing Gwen Mays, John Kirchhoff, USDA Temple Rose Garcia, Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation Executive Director Diana Lopez, Guadalupe Economic Services Corporation Executive Director 3:30 Discussion Groups See below 4:40 Conclusions Friday morning, 8:00 AM Noon 8:00 Registration 8:15 Welcome back and agenda review Luis Esparza, MET Executive Director Kathy Tyler, MET Housing Services Director 8:30 Introduction to Texas Agriculture Rick Rhodes, Texas Department of Agriculture, Administrator Office of Rural Affairs 8:50 Connecting the Dots: Farmworker Health Bethany Boggess, National Center for Farmworker Health 9:00 Resource for single family: 502 Partnership Matt Hull, Texas Community Capital 9:15 Financing farmworker housing panel Rose Garcia, Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation Executive Director Diana Lopez, Guadalupe Economic Services Corporation Executive Director Jean Latsha, TDHCA Competitive Tax Credit Program Manager Mirna Reyes Bible, Multi family housing, USDA Washington DC David Danenfelzer, TSAHC Tammye Trevino, HUD Regional Director, Ft Worth, and past USDA Administrator for Housing & Community Facilities Programs 10:30 Discussion Groups continued from Thursday See below 11:40 Conclusions Please choose to participate in one of three discussion groups: 1. Recommendations to state agencies and Legislative leadership to increase housing options for Texas farmworkers (including Texas Rural Farmworker Housing Analysis recommendations, the focus of MET s May 2012 summit) Leader: Tammye Trevino Facilitator: Ashley Meyer Duggan 2. Recommendations to federal agencies and Congressional leadership to increase housing options for Texas farmworkers Leader: Susan Anderson Facilitator: Sylvia Salazar Murphy 3. Showcasing farmworker and rural housing to elected officials Leader: Ginger McGuire and Donna Chatham Facilitator: Irene Favila

3 Motivation Education & Training, Inc Farmworker Housing Summit Thursday November 14, 2013, 1:00-5:00 PM and Friday November 15, 2013, 8:00 AM to Noon Summit Report Welcome and Introductions Luis Esparza, Executive Director of Motivation Education & Training Inc. opened the 8th Annual Texas Farmworker Housing Summit and thanked the participants for coming to the summit. Kathy Tyler, Housing Services Director at MET, added her thanks and recognized those who helped with this year s summit including Funding from the Department of Labor s National Farmworker Jobs Program allows MET to host the farmworker housing summits at no cost to participants, Texas State Senator Lucio and his legislative director Dan Esparza, who sponsored the use of the Legislative Conference Center and have stood behind farmworker housing in the State Legislature, Rose Garcia, executive director of Tierra del Sol Housing Corporation who assisted in the planning of the summit And all the speakers, discussion leaders and facilitators who contributed their time and talent to assure the summit s constructive sessions and discussions The broad theme of the summit was planned to look at the intersection of farmworker housing, health, and food production system, and reflected throughout the agenda. The variety of speakers helps with a holistic view of issues and solutions. Kathy summarized the did you know? facts about Texas farmworkers and their housing options that were outlined on the invitation to the summit.

4 Did you know?... In Texas the economic impact of the agricultural food and fiber sector totals more than $100 billion each year, and one of every seven working Texans is in an ag-related job. (Texas Department of Agriculture website, As has been the case throughout Texas history, the economic impact of agriculture to our state is significant. There is very little housing available for farmworkers, so many live in substandard, overcrowded or unaffordable housing. Texas has the second most farmworkers of any state except California. (Larson, Alice C., US Department of Health and Human Services, Migrant Health Branch, MSFW Enumeration Profiles). Thousands of Texas farmworkers 92.7% of farmworkers cannot access affordable housing in the state s rural communities that include a sizable number of agricultural workers. 1 The Bowen report, prepared for the Texas Department of Housing and Community Development (TDHCA) last year, says the state needs 28,000 to cover the housing gap for farmworkers. (Bowen National Research, Texas Rural Farmworker Housing Analysis, prepared for TDHCA, September 12, 2012, There are 552 units for farmworkers in these communities compared to an estimated population of 34,250. Other affordable units, like tax credit properties, are 98% occupied and not easily available to farmworkers). Without improvements, farmworker housing is a detriment to public health in the US, according to the American Public Health Association. The American Public Health Association report is striking. It connects the dots between laborers, housing, and food health, and calls poor farmworker housing a detriment to public health, saying it is a public health imperative that should be addressed by both federal and state government. We know the number of farmworker-designated homes in Texas is inadequate for the numbers of farmworkers in the state. (American Public Health Association, The APHA believes increasing the accessibility and affordability of farmworker housing that meets health and safety standards is a public health imperative and should be addressed immediately at both federal and state levels). A book called Fresh Fruit Broken Bodies by Seth Holmes, who is both a medical doctor and an ethnographer. He uses the title to emphasize that our access to fresh fruit, necessary to keep our bodies healthy, comes at the expense of others broken bodies and diminished health from providing the back-breaking labor, exposure to pesticide chemicals, and poverty. There are approximate 1,400 units of farmworker-designated units in Texas, compared to 361,411 members in farmworker households. (Bowen National Research, Texas Rural Farmworker Housing Analysis, MET Farmworker Housing Analysis and Alice C. Larson s MSFW Enumeration Profiles). Changes are facing Texans in every direction in food production and safety, immigration reform, and government practices. Are we ready?

5 On behalf of MET, Kathy took a few minutes to highlight the housing repair work MET has been able to conduct over recent years, and to thank those who made funding possible for MET to do this work: TDHCA for one year of funding of the Rural Housing Expansion Program (RHEP). This program was available in 2011 when the Housing Trust Fund was increased during that biennium to around $20 million, after which it was reduced back to about $12 million. Senator Lucio and his Legislative Director Dan Esparza were champions for the additional HTF funding, and MET thanks them for those efforts. Some slides were shown of the heartening results. MET felt privileged to have seen the positive changes in the lives of those who benefitted.

6 Examples from before and after rehabilitation slides:

7 What s New with Farm Labor Housing, Henry Searcy, Coordinator for Chronically Underserved Rural Areas, USDA Rural Development, Washington DC. Henry described his history with farmworker housing, stated what s new with farmworker housing, and how farmworkers can transform into farm owners, and ways to improve farmworker housing. Henry introduced USDA s farmworker housing in the context of when they were established, as part of the Housing Act of 1949, which added housing programs to USDA s Farmers Home Administration. Throughout the Roosevelt and Truman Administrations, the government was attempting to stimulate the economy. Programs were expanded in 1961 to include direct loans, including the rural rental housing program, to non-farm rural residents, and greatly increasing housing services for rural people. More recently, The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Farm Bill of 2008, specified the necessity of changing the definition of farm labor and farmworker to allow processing workers. Changes in the definition of those eligible to live in farmworker housing substantially expanded the program. USDA operates other programs of benefit to farmworkers. Henry cited several program that participants may want to look into. For example, he mentioned 1. Secretary Vilsack s Strikeforce Initiative which will begin in Texas and January 2014 and include 95 Texas counties. Targeting areas of persistent poverty, the Strikeforce will be administered through the state s Farm Service Agency (FSA), a division of USDA. 2. Henry encouraged participants to contact Christine Chavez, the Farmworker Coordinator in the Office of Advocacy and Outreach. Her assignment is to be a liaison and assure farmworkers needs are met. Her phone number at USDA is Similarly, the Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) Emergency Assistance Program adds value by helping low income farmworkers in an emergency or disaster. Funds can be use used to help with rent, utility bills, groceries, or other housing in cases of emergencies. 4. The Stability Safety and Training Assistance can be utilized to increase agricultural skills or provide English as a Second Language (ESL) training. This assistance can also include short-term housing while farmworkers are in transition. 5. There is also assistance for the instance where a farmworker would like to become a farm owner through various programs. 6. A variety of other programs include a. The National Resource Conservation Service b. Crop assistance provided to protect against drought and natural disasters c. Non-crop assistance, such as that provided to increase production of energy through crops, such as bio-mass production. d. Seasonal High Tunnel programs, also called hoop houses, are like greenhouses. They greatly increase the per acreage agricultural yield. e. Farmers Market Promotions offer grants to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets and informal ways of selling crops. With farm labor housing, Henry talked about eligibility and that a tenant must be a legal permanent resident to gain entry. However he explained that refugees may have access to farmworker housing units if they meet certain criteria. He clarified that nonfarmworkers can gain entry to farmworker housing if farmworker earnings are anticipated to be received (from a nonfamily source) during the upcoming 12 months, which will be verified at the one year re-certification. Henry and Mirna Reyes- Bible also noted the eligibility of retired farmworkers and processing workers. This expansion came as a result of the Farm Bill of 2008.

8 Speaking of the Farm Bill, Henry encouraged participants to think about what initiatives they d like to see at USDA and to take advantage of opportunities to create new initiatives. Put it in the farm bill may be a good strategy for creating new programs or strengthening existing programs, as evidenced by past initiatives that could help farmworkers and the farming community. Several times, Henry mentioned USDA s visiting the website for USDA Rural Development s Office of Advocacy and Outreach ( This office at USDA works to enhance access to services for rural communities using several strategies such as improving agricultural opportunities for farm workers and improving access to USDA programs for minorities and historically underserved constituents. State-Led Efforts to Improve Farmworker Housing Championing Housing at the State Level, Daniel Esparza, Legislative Director for Senator Eddie Lucio Jr in the Texas House of Representatives, represented the Senator by presenting efforts of the state to address affordable housing. He welcomed the group to the Capitol Extension Conference Center on behalf of the Senator. Dan reviewed the history of the state s Housing Trust Fund, which is funded through the state s general revenue. In the most recent biennium, the Texas Legislature funded the Housing Trust Fund at just under $12 million each year. Ten percent of that goes toward housing assistance for veterans. The Legislature requires TDHCA to use at least $3 million each year for the Bootstrap Program, and these funds generally come from the Housing Trust Fund. The Bootstrap Program enables some of the neediest residents living along the border to attain homeownership, relying on their own sweat equity to build the home. It is one of Texas signature programs that was created more than a decade ago with Senator Lucio s strong support. In the biennium, the Housing Trust Fund increased to almost $20 million per year, and that year several new rural housing programs were created, including the Rural Housing Expansion Program, the Affordable Housing Match Program, and the USDA 502 Direct Program. Results from these programs was the leveraging a total of $25 million from about $3 million in state funds, and the facilitating of 400 housing units. These programs were not continued in the biennium when the Housing Trust Fund was cut back. Of course this is a drop in the bucket given that Texas is host to 3.6 rural residents. The Senator fought for the creation of self-help housing centers and the Texas Bootstrap Program, which are programs that have worked well to serve rural residents along the border. Dan also spoke about the efforts of the Senator to address the living conditions of colonias residents who live with poor conditions and few resources. Dan described the efforts of the Senator to provide alternatives to colonias development in order to curb the proliferation of colonias. He also spoke about resolutions to keep residents from falling prey to subprime and predatory financial products. Dan also reminded the group that TDHCA has taken on the licensing and regulating farmworker housing beginning in 2005, and the importance of being diligent oversight. Dan encouraged the group to bring ideas and issues to the Senator since he has long been a champion of farmworkers issues and affordable housing for the poorest residents of the state.

9 What s New with Farm Labor Housing Panel John Kirchhoff, Housing Director, USDA State Office, Temple, Texas When asked to give information on Texas inventory of 514/516 farm labor housing projects, Mr. Kirchhoff relayed several pieces of information. At the time of his presentation, Texas had 18 farm labor housing facilities in the state, which together include 1,128 units. Almost all, 1,124 units, include rental assistance for the tenants. There were 107 vacant units; 54 were vacant because the units were undergoing rehabilitation, and the remaining 53 were vacant for other reasons. Of the 18 USDA farm labor housing facilities in the state, one is rated as Class A, one as Class B, 15 as Class C, and one is rated as Class D. The D classification means there are serious problems and a likely monetary deficiency. Rose Garcia, Executive Director, Tierra del Sol Housing Development Corporation. Rose described that the organization she has led for several decades was started by a group of farmworkers. In 1973 there existed few housing options for farmworkers and the farmers did not want to provide housing. So the group of farmworkers created Tierra del Sol, and over the years the organization has created 32 housing facilities, and many of them are specifically for farmworkers. Now the organization employs 28 staff members and continues with a volunteer board of directors. Farmworkers are housed in seven facilities throughout New Mexico, as listed and pictured in the accompanying slide.

10 Tierra del Sol was recently selected by USDA Rural Development to be one of the three organizations in the state to provide technical assistance to organizations intending to create or preserve farmworker housing. Tierra del Sol will provide this assistance to organizations located in the middle section of the US. In the role of technical assistance provider, Rose summarized the definition of a farmworker to live in farm labor housing. The USDA definition is: A farm worker agricultural worker means an individual who derives, or prior to retirement or disability, derived a substantial portion of his/her income from agricultural employment in any of its branches. Agricultural employment means employed in the cultivation and tillage of the soil; the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural or horticultural commodities; the raising of livestock, bees, furbearing animals, or poultry; dairying, forestry and lumber operations; any work on a farm as incident to or in conjunction with such farming operations, including the delivery and preparation of commodities for market storage. Rose described how the requirements for eligibility to live in USDA- funded farm labor housing. The household must work in agriculture and earn a minimum of $5, per year from agriculture or farm employment. Verification of legal status is required by showing a birth certificate or Immigration card. To verify Income, a W-2 form from the previous year, award letters for unemployment, and public support records are needed.

11 Tierra del Sol s assistance covers the development stages which Rose reviewed as follows: Site Selection and Feasibility Per USDA Land Development Infrastructure Needs Construction Design Requirements and Preliminary Plans Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan Supportive Services Plan Construction management Eligible Borrowers and Grantees include Eligible farm owners, family farm partnership or corporation and farm association An individual farm owner A broad-based nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization of farm workers A State or local public agency Housing Authority Native American Tribe Diana Lopez, Executive Director, Guadalupe Economic Services Corporation, Inc. Diana described the background which led the GESC organization to develop housing for farmworkers. GESC s vision is to enhance economic, educational, and social levels of rural communities. She provided an introduction to her experience in developing the Vista Rita Blanca Apartments in Dalhart Texas. She was approached by UMOS (United Migrant Opportunity Services) and Tierra del Sol in 2009 and asked to consider putting in an application for agricultural workers housing in the Panhandle. Diana saw the request as a chance for GESC to demonstrate it is an agent for change. Dalhart was identified as an area with a need for housing to serve workers. Cotton and wheat crops dominate the landscape and agricultural ventures are on the rise with cattle, hogs, and other livestock. So late in 2009, GESC applied for Section 514/516 funding for farmworker housing. Funding was awarded, final planning ensued, and the housing is now under construction. The project contains 28 units which will be completed in the spring of With last September s Notice of Funding Availability for the Section 514/516 program, GSE applied for an additional 40 units for Phase II of the Vista Rita Blanca Apartments. Diana described the experience as a steep learning curve that she needed to learn quickly, and continues to learn throughout the process, and that help provided by Tierra del Sol and UMOS allowed her the capacity to move forward in spite of many hurdles and barriers. Introduction to Texas Agriculture Rick Rhodes is the Administrator of the Office of Rural Affairs located in the Texas Department of Agriculture. He reminded participants of the how vast and rural Texas is. There are 1,200 incorporated cities in Texas, and 85% of them have populations less than 10,000. Of Texas 254 counties, 217 are rural. Eighty-three percent of Texas residents live in the most populous five metro areas, leaving the remaining 23% to the vast rural sections of the state. Rick impressed the group by noting some statistics impacting Texas economy. For example, Texas leads the nation in cattle, cotton, hay, sheep, wool, goats, and mohair. That might not surprise most of us, but

12

13 it is surprising that Texans use 17 billion diapers each year, and that Texas produces 2.4 million socks. Texas is also leads the nation with dairy and milk production. Texans also face many challenges when it comes to agriculture. The average age of Texas farmers is 58, so strategies are needed to attract young Texans into the occupation. TDA has a Young Farmer Grant, which awards from $5,000 to $10,000 to aspiring farmers between the ages of 18 and 45. Grants allow young farmers to create or expand an agricultural business. It is challenging to sustain Texas rural communities, but this is necessary to promote agriculture. Farms and ranches depend on the vibrancy of local communities. Most farming families, for example, include family members who work in town, and this income is important to make the farms work. TDA has several tools to help support the expansion of rural communities economies, including the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. CDBG is a federal grant aimed at meeting the community development needs of low income community development needs of low and moderate income persons in small cities and rural counties. According to TDA s website, this rural-focused program is the largest state CDBG program in the nation and serves approximately 1,015 eligible nonentitlement communities, 244 nonentitlement counties, and provides services to over 365,000 low-tomoderate income beneficiaries each year. Most communities served have populations less than 3,000 and many less than 1,000. CDBG funds are prioritized through an annual process that includes a series of public hearings. Programs currently funded include the following: Community Development Fund, funds infrastructure projects in rural cities and counties Texas Capital Fund, funds economic development to expand public infrastructure and real estate development in order to create or retain jobs, and are matched with private investments. Rick emphasized that grants must not exceed $25,000 in expenditure per job created. The actual average expenditure is $16,000 per job created and 4,000 jobs have been created. Colonia Fund, funds improvements in severely distressed coloanis Disaster Relief / Urgent Need Fund, funds assistance for federal and state declarations to repair infrastructure or, in cases of urgent needs, where unforeseen occurrence threatens illness or injury, or other threats to life or health. Planning and Capacity Building Fund, funds cities with public facility and housing planning activities. STEP Fund, funds water and sewer infrastructure improvements using self-help methods. Rick welcomed participants to communicate with TDAs regional contacts. TDA s website at provides office locations and contact information. When asked about using publicly owned land for housing, Rick suggested participants contact the General Land Office, which may have GIS-compiled information about publicly owned land.

14 Matt Hull, Executive Director of Texas Association of Community Development Corporations and Texas Community Capital Matt made an announcement about the USDA 502 Intermediary Packaging Pilot Program, in which the Texas Community Capital has been taking part as one of five intermediaries across the nation. The program expands the availability of Section 502 direct mortgage low interest loans offered by USDA through intermediaries and local nonprofit packagers. The local nonprofits submit the loan packages to certified intermediary organizations TCC in Texas case - for review and processing. TCC serves as a clearinghouse, accepting and reviewing applications completed by local nonprofits, reviewing them for accuracy before submitting them to the appropriate local or state Rural Development office. Rural Development then completes an expedited review and approval. All of Texas 502 loans in the program are packaged by the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville, but Matt would like to eventually see other nonprofits engaged in the program. Matt explained that Rural Development currently has a proposed rule out for comment, and because of the government shut down, the due date for comments was extended. He encouraged participants to submit comments before the new deadline of November 22, To see comments already submitted, anyone can go to the website at and enter 7 CFR 3550 into the search line, then select Single Family Housing Direct Loan Program, and select any of the comments submitted to USDA. Comments received to date are posted there, including those Texas Community Capital submitted. Matt welcomed attendees to borrow from TCC s comments if they think them worthwhile. He summarized TCC s comments regarding the proposed rule: 1. Allow a qualified employer to contract with qualified loan packagers rather than requiring staff. 2. Reduce required experience of the intermediary or grandfather existing active intermediaries. 3. Not require intermediaries to be licensed under the SAFE Act.

15 Bethany Boggess, BS, CHES, Research Assistant, National Center for Farmworker Health There are 150 clinics that serve agricultural workers scattered across the country, and at least one exists in every state. An additional 1,100 clinics serve a broader low income population, and many of these received additional funding to help farmworkers. The National Center for Farmworker Health works to improve the health status of farmworkers, and provides information services and products to this network of farmworker health clinics. Bethany s presentation focused on the health, housing, and human rights of agricultural workers. She briefly summarized the demographics of the very diverse farmworker population, with different ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious backgrounds, with a social and occupational status that is highly marginalized. She described labor laws that discourage labor organizing, adequate safety standards, and decent wages. Nearly 80% of the 800,000 workers and family members served by federally-funded health centers in 2011 earned incomes below the poverty level. Photo by Alan Pogue Bethany described how agricultural workers suffer from diseases commonly linked to poverty, such as high rates of respiratory diseases, tuberculosis, perinatal disorders, musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, diabetes, and obesity. When linking housing to health, Bethany described conditions that range from being inhumane to decent; from small RVs or manufactured homes, to motels that are rented by the week or month, or small apartments, duplexes, dormitories, or houses. Housing can be provided by the grower or labor contractor, but it often is the individual s responsibility, unlike guest worker programs which require the sponsor to provide housing that meets minimum standards. As an example of how housing can affect poor health, Bethany noted food storage as an example. Often small homes are equipped with small refrigerators, but they may be in poor working order or not functioning at all. So the amount of fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products that can be stored is limited. If the worker resides in a rural area or lacks transportation to go the grocery store, the situation is exacerbated. Worker households may be limited to purchasing processed and shelf-stable foods, with less nutritional value and which contribute to obesity and diabetes.

16 Also common is overcrowding, which can lead to elevated levels of stress, infectious disease transmission, and sexual abuse. Water provided to agricultural workers has been found to contain elevated levels of E. coli and other fecal-borne bacteria, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. Poor quality drinking water can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses, birth defects, and hepatitis A infection. Other common issues include pesticide and dust exposure due to houses being located near fields, increased vulnerability to mosquitos and pests due to a lack of window screens, and elevated risk of climate-related illnesses due to a lack of indoor climate control. Bathrooms that are impossible to keep sanitary obviously contribute to unhealthy conditions. Photo by Alan Pogue Bethany also commented that although there are efforts in the state to provide decent housing for agricultural workers, there still exist a multitude of barriers, such as fear of government services, linguistic barriers (many may not be literate in Spanish or English), or a lack of awareness about services. Well-planned and informed outreach needs to be coupled with culturally-sensitive assistance in navigating the application process. Finally, poverty wages, a lack of enforcement of agricultural housing standards, and political voicelessness contribute to substandard housing conditions. Bethany concluded by quoting Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services. Because we all enjoy the fruits of the hard labor that agricultural workers do on a daily basis, Bethany closed by admonishing participants that it is our duty to ensure that agricultural workers have access to adequate and decent housing that will provide an environment conducive to health and well-being.