Increase in H2A Farmworkers Raises Housing Concerns
Santa Barbara County Supervisors Moving to Streamline Permit Process
The question of where to house more than 2,600 foreign nationals employed as farmworkers in the county was discussed once again at the Board of Supervisors meeting this Tuesday.
The workers have come to the United States through a visa program known as H2A, which is intended to help farmers who are experiencing labor shortages. H2A workers are granted temporary visas that will require them to return to their home countries after a specific time period. In the last few years, the number of H2A workers has increased exponentially in the county from zero in 2012 to more than 2,500 in 2017.
Farmers, who are responsible for providing housing for these workers, have resorted to solutions that are contributing to the serious housing shortages in the county, especially in the city of Santa Maria. According to the Department of Labor, Santa Maria has more H2A workers than any city in California.
