Council set to consider proposal to house elderly farmworkers
LOS ANGELES: A council is now set to consider an innovative proposal to house a group of elderly farm workers.
Mercy Housing, a nonprofit organization, plans to build 40 apartment units for retired farm workers, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, along with several community spaces.
“Since our last meeting, we’ve secured over $13 million from the housing farmworker program and made progress towards delivering 40 homes for this community,” said a representative from Mercy Housing.
The housing project aims to address a longstanding housing crisis exacerbated by a 2023 shooting that killed seven farmworkers.
ALAS, a nonprofit organization partnering with Mercy Housing, highlights the poor living conditions and lack of resources that farmworkers face, which contribute to their hardships.
“Some people live in horrible conditions, some people live in cramped conditions. But they want to have a dignifying life after 50 or 65,” said Luis Enrique Bazán, Director of Community Engagement at ALAS.
The project has faced delays due to appeals, and city council members still have questions regarding parking rules and funding details.
Local residents, including Ana Morales and Noreen Cooper Havlen, expressed their support for the project, emphasizing the need to improve living conditions for farmworkers.
The city council plans to hold another meeting to continue discussions on the housing project, as residents and organizations push for its approval to improve the lives of elderly farmworkers.