End of Spring 2023 Newsletter - House Farm Workers!

We have had an impressive and productive past few months, and there is much to share with you!

In March, we started visiting the Ventura County Board of Supervisors individually to either introduce them to House Farm Workers! and what we do or thank them for their ongoing support of affordable housing.

Our first visit was with Supervisor Vianey Lopez, representing the fifth district, including portions of Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and CSUCI.

Then, we met with the Chair of the Board, District 1 Supervisor Matt LaVere. LaVere represents Montalvo, Saticoy, Ojai Valley, City of Ojai, Upper Ojai Valley, Victoria Estates, Riverpark, Collection, Rio West, Northwest Oxnard, Windsor North/River Ridge, North Coast, West Lockwood Valley, Oak View, Miramonte, Meiners Oaks, Casitas Springs, Cabrillo, Rincon, and Solimar.

Our visits continued into May, and we were able to meet with District 2 Supervisor Jeff Gorell, who represents the City of Thousand Oaks, Northern and Eastern portions of the City of Camarillo, Newbury Park, Westlake Village, Oak Park, Hidden Valley, Lake Sherwood, Somis, Las Posas Valley, Camarillo Springs, Camarillo Heights, Casa Conejo, Santa Rosa Valley, Ventu Park, and South Coast.

As you can tell, we did not visit in order of district number. Our Supervisors are busy, and we are happy they made time to meet with us, hear our concerns, and learn about future or proposed affordable housing that would benefit our local farm workers.

Our meeting with the Vice Chair of the Board, District 3 Supervisor Kelly Long, who represents Central and mSouthern portions of the City of Camarillo, Northeast Oxnard, El Rio, Nyeland Acres, City of Santa Paula, City of Fillmore, Piru, and East Lockwood Valley; went so well we forgot to take a group photo. That gives us a great reason to go back and visit soon.

Our Ventura County Board of Supervisor visits came to an end in June with District 4 District 4 Supervisor Janice S. Parvin, who represents Bell Canyon, Box Canyon, Chatsworth Peak, City of Moorpark, City of Simi Valley, Home Acres, Moorpark College, Santa Susana Knolls, Sinaloa Lake, The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Tierra Rejada Valley.

Thank you, Ventura County Board of Supervisors. We look forward to staying connected and meeting with you again.

June 1st brought a special visit to the office of Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-38). Thank you, Patty Quiroz, District Director, for inviting House Farm Workers! to your office to learn more about our work.

One Step A La Vez

In between all of those fantastic meetings and conversations, House Farm Workers! had some other pretty cool successes, like our monthly meeting at One Step A La Vez that turned into a walking field trip to Santa Clara St. and Palm St. in Fillmore where we met the staff from People’s Self-Help Housing and RRM Design to hear about a proposed project named Fillmore Terrace.

The youth members from One Step heard directly from the architects about what type and size of housing was being proposed to be built in the open space they were standing on.

The youth carefully reviewed building plans and site maps and asked questions to help determine their stance on the project. They agreed that 50 affordable housing units should be created in their. City of Fillmore. The youth drafted a letter to their City Council and Staff members, which they read in person at a May 23rd City Council meeting. Go One Step, Youth!

At that meeting, the youth was joined by other community members who were also there in support of Fillmore Terrace and additional affordable housing being built.

House Farm Workers! also used the speaking opportunity to support the proposed project and remind the city how important it is for them to have a compliant Housing Element. If you would like more information on Fillmore Terrace or are interested in writing a letter of support for the project, please get in touch with Dalia Flores at daliaf@pshhc.org.

Housing California Annual Conference

To stay current on housing topics, laws, and innovations, our Executive Director, Gabrielle, attended the 2023 Housing California Annual Conference, where she learned, made connections, and strengthened existing ones.

A couple of our Board Members, such as Karen Flock were also in attendance and, as always, using every opportunity possible to discuss the creation of additional affordable housing.

New Board Member – Kenneth Trigueiro

We are lucky to have a heavily involved Board of Directors; as a matter of fact, let’s spotlight one of our newest members, Kenneth Trigueiro.

“I’m personally honored to serve on the HFW! Board to support more farmworker housing within the County. My grandparents, who met in Ventura, and their parents before them, got their starts in life working in farm and ranch work. My own roots, as well as those of my family tree, are well grounded in this work. It’s a special privilege for me to join the HFW! Board to help grow of our region’s affordable homes available for our community’s farmworkers and their families.”

Kenneth joined the HFW! board in November 2022 and chairs the HFW! Program Committee, which just hosted a Developer Focus Group in April, where local developers shared information about affordable housing developments that farmworkers can live in and identified issues to address to best promote the production of more affordable housing. Kenneth is the CEO & President of People’s Self-Help Housing. PSHH just broke ground in the City of Oxnard for their Cypress Place project, which will provide 90 safe, supportive units for individuals, families, and farmworker households.

Ventura County Farm Bureau

Thank you, Maureen McGuire, Chief Executive Officer of the Ventura County Farm Bureau, for being a great community partner. Maureen continues to ask how she can help House Farm Workers!

We had a booth at the VCFB annual meeting in May where we were able to provide Agricultural Community members with more information about the Ventura County Farmworker Housing Study and Action Plan, which is coordinated and funded by the County of Ventura, and all ten cities and in partnership with House Farm Workers!

This is the first step to directing resources to Ventura County cities and stakeholders. We need to ensure employees see the agricultural industry and our region as a place where their families can thrive. The survey will benefit farmers, ranchers, and farmworkers for years to come by informing investment in the right places and types of housing.” stated Maureen McGuire.

The Farmworker Resource Program of Ventura County has started surveying a sample of farmworkers located in different parts of the County, working in various crops and other agricultural work. Additional surveying sites are needed.

If you are a grower or packing house that would like to set up surveys for your employees, please contact info@housefarmworkers.org.

To read more about the Study and Action Plan, please visit: Ventura County Farmworker Housing Study and Action Plan (vcrma.org)

We would also like to thank the California Avocado Commission and the Agricultural Commissioner of Ventura County for continuing to share information about the survey.

California State University Channel Islands

Every year HFW! teams up with California State University Channel Islands (CI), Reiter Affiliated Companies, and Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation for the Immersion Project, where students learn what it is like to be a farmworker for a few hours. After a quick orientation and warm-up, students and staff pick raspberries,

tour affordable farmworker housing, hear from community leader, lawyer, and activist Barbara Macri-Ortiz of the Law Office of Barbara Macri-Ortiz and end with a reflection of the day led by Gabrielle Vignone, Executive Director of House Farm Workers!

CSUCI was spotlighted for this event by KCLU. To read that article, visit: Where does our food come from? Some Ventura County college students become farmworkers for a day | KCLU

From Field To Fork

It is almost time to attend your favorite event, Field to Fork! The event brings together farmers who produce Ventura County’s agricultural bounty, chefs who celebrate that bounty on their menus, and the farm workers whose labor makes it all possible.

Community Corner

The County of Ventura was selected to receive the 2023 Sustainability Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability from the SouthernCalifornia Association of Governments (SCAG). The award, which is the most prestigious given by SCAG, was given in recognition of the Resource Management Agency’s Agricultural Worker Housing Ordinance. The County was recognized at SCAG’s Regional Conference and General Assembly on May 4 in Palm Desert, California.

People’s Self Help Housing introduced their new quarterly publication about, “Why build, where to build, and who to build for arouses fierce debate and throws into thorny relief the complex issues surrounding the challenge of addressing the housing crisis.”

You can Sign-up to receive ‘The Blueprint’ at: The Blueprint – People’s Self-Help Housing (pshhc.org)

House Opportunities Made Easier is having its annual conference on October 18th; for information on sponsoring, donating, or getting tickets, please visit www.vchome.org/2023-conference.

Or contact Karen Fraser, Executive Director, at info@vchome.org or 805- 323-6534.

Donations

Our work is possible because of our amazing volunteers and donors:

Donate online at:

Donate

Or mail a donation to:

House Farm Workers!
P.O. Box 402
Santa Paula, CA 93061

If you are new to HFW! and are looking for a way to get involved, we have listed a few options below.

Want to join one of our City Group Committees?

These committees have room for new members:

Oxnard House Farm Workers! Committee

Second Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. via Zoom

Ventura House Farm Workers! Committee

Fourth Tuesday at 4 p.m. via Zoom

Fillmore & Piru Task Force

First Wednesday at 5 p.m. via Zoom Email events@housefarmworkers.org to be added to the mailing list.

Feeling generous?

Gift Donations: Don’t know what to get your loved ones this year? Donate in their name: https://housefarmworkers.org/donate/