Migrant farmworkers want to live in California. There’s just no affordable housing for them

Many migrant farmworkers living in California-run housing would settle full time in their communities if they could find affordable housing, and their children struggle to keep up in school as a result of frequent moves.

This is what The Sacramento Bee learned during a year-long investigation into the state’s 24 migrant farmworker housing centers, which provide subsidized units for seasonal workers.

Reporters visited seven centers in Northern California, the San Joaquin Valley and on the Central Coast. They surveyed 150 families about their experiences living in the housing and moving every year when it closes for three to six months.

These centers date back to the 1970s, and they typically house about 7,000 farmworkers every year. To live there, individuals must meet an income requirement, prove they work in agriculture and live at least 50 miles away for three months after the season ends.

The number of migrant California farmworkers has decreased significantly over time. U.S. Department of Labor data shows about 92% of California farmworkers were settled in 2019-2020.

The dwindling number of migrant farmworkers has led some advocates to question the seasonal nature of the centers, which forces families to leave the communities where they work every year. Others say requiring farmworkers to move ensures housing is available only for migrants, who face a unique struggle to find places to live.

The Bee surveyed farmworkers at centers in Davis, Lodi, Williams, Watsonville, Hollister, Patterson and Atwater, where 99% of residents primarily speak Spanish. Here are our findings.

Would farmworkers stay at the migrant centers year-round?

More than 80% of the farmworkers surveyed said they would stay if their units were available year-round. Operation of the centers costs roughly $12 million per year.

The majority of farmworkers migrate to Mexico during the months when their centers are closed, although some travel to other places in the United States.

Does migrating harm your children’s education?

About 69% of the farmworkers with children reported that the seasonal migration affected their children’s education.

Many expressed dismay about pulling their children out of school midway through the year. Parents reported their kids are struggling to learn English, experiencing stress, failing to meet school requirements and falling behind in classes.

Some parents have spent decades living in the housing centers, first coming as children and now returning with families of their own. Migrating led to learning loss and an eventual career in farm work, those parents said. They fear their children will face similar challenges.

Reasons for migrating

The most common reasons farmworkers cited for migrating included high rent, lack of work in the area and cheaper costs of living at their next destination.

Few farmworkers reported they follow their work from place to place, although some said they do not stick around after the centers close because their season is mostly over.

A handful of families said they own or rent off-season homes in other areas where the cost of living is cheaper, including Mexico, Texas and Arizona. They earn more money working in California, then return to permanent houses in places that are more affordable.

Pay

The median pay for farmworkers surveyed is $16 per hour.

Tenants living in the centers pay rents that are heavily subsidized — most families spend less than $400 per month.

For farmworkers earning slightly more than minimum wage, that means the migrant centers may be their only affordable option for living in the communities where they work. When the centers close, most families cannot find anything comparably-priced.

Number of seasons at center

Many farmworkers The Bee surveyed continue to return to the migrant centers year after year, sometimes for decades.

About 41% of those surveyed had lived in the migrant centers for 10 seasons or more. Nearly 50% had lived in the centers for two to nine years.

Some current residents grew up in the centers and later returned to live there with their own children and families.

Map by Phillip Reese. Page development by Gabriela Hanna, Susan Merriam and David Newcomb.