Washington State Farm Worker Housing Trust

Programs: Community engagementthe community engagement program is forging local partnerships of agricultural businesses, farmworker advocates and service providers, affordable housing providers and concerned citizens coming together to address local needs. This year the trust produced three regional forums to begin to address local farmworker housing needs and leverage the trust's work to increase the amount of decent, affordable housing for farmworkers. The trust released regional (2-3 counties with common agriculture) findings from our year-long, statewide survey of nearly 3,000 farmworkers, highlighting key local housing and demographic data. Over 200 individuals attended regional meetings in mount vernon, bellingham, tri-cities, walla walla, and yakima. Participants included local growers, farmworker advocates, affordable housing providers, bankers, realtors, concerned citizens, as well as elected and appointed officials. The trust hosted its largest community forum in yakima on sept. 26, 2010 with over 80 community leaders, policy makers, concerned citizens, growers, and advocates in attendance. A walla walla community forum was held on october 14, 2010 with more than 50 participants. Local farmworker housing trust advisory councils are now active in skagit, and walla walla counties. These councils unite diverse constituencies who are developing and implementing local action plans to address local needs for farmworker housing. Action plans encompass changes to the growth management act comprehensive plans, zoning, and preventing the not in my back yard opposition that all too frequently confronts proposed farmworker housing communities.

public education/networking & policythe trust conducts, compiles and disseminates research on the community benefits of and need for safe, affordable farmworker housing in order to educate public officials and the general public. This is accomplished through media outreach to traditional and online media across the state, as well as in-person meetings. Farmworker housing and the trust were covered or featured this year in industry publications, radio features, a bilingual newspaper, and several local newspapers. The trust is developing new partnerships and sharing best practices with other organizations and sectors. These efforts also help guide the trust's work with public funders to secure policy changes that more effectively promote farmworker housing. This year the trust continued to partner successfully with public funders including the wa state housing trust fund, wa state housing finance commission and usda rural development to secure policy changes that more effectively promote farmworker housing. The trust's policy work includes its efforts to improve capital financing of farmworker housing. The trust is working in collaboration with a broad range of partners to develop additional financing tools that will increase both private and public investment in housing and infrastructure. Specifically, the trust is working to expand the capital resources available for affordable farmworker housing through the following strategies:- recruiting additional financing experts and housing providers to identify current financing gaps for the full spectrum of housing including community-based, employer-supported and seasonal-occupancy housing. - exploring opportunities for third-party below market rate loans, guaranteed loans, program related investments (pris) and direct trust lending. - this year the trust began developing financial models for a potential new institutional investor who is interested in providing construction and permanent financing for farmworker housing.

capacity buildingthe trust expands the capacity of local housing providers to develop and manage housing and related services by providing technical and financial assistance to community capacity fund program partners in implementing their work plans. The following focus areas were developed based on housing providers' self-identified areas most in need of support:- expanding housing development staff of local partners to (a) provide outreach and technical assistance to growers and community organizations seeking to increase the supply of seasonal-occupancy housing and (b) conduct feasibility assessments, predevelopment and development activities for community-based rental housing. - expanding home ownership programs for farmworkers and their families. - improving local housing providers' asset management operations to more effectively manage farmworker housing, coordinate services, and build a sense of community. In 2010, the trust continued our strategic investments in the development of 320 new housing units for 1,600 farmworkers and family members. These new homes included an estimated 294 rental units and up to 60 home ownership units. In addition, four of the local partners are improving the asset and property management operations of 806 existing units for 4,030 farmworkers and their family members. Combined with the previous year's capacity partnerships, the trust has invested in affordable housing for an estimated total of 7,000 farmworkers and dependents in over 550 homes. The trust also began replicating a successful internship program for diversity in nonprofit rural housing and community development. In partnership with the california coalition for rural housing, the trust placed and is helping train two interns with rural affordable housing developers. Both interns are students of color from rural communities. The internships are for 12 months and include both classroom and on-the-job training to prepare students for highly responsible positions in housing and community development.