New CIRS publication on agricultural worker housing

[Guest guest]

The California Institute for Rural Studies is pleased to announce the

publication of " An Assessment of the Demand for Farm Worker Housing

in Napa County "

Lack of access to decent and affordable housing is one of the more

intractable issues affecting the health and well-being of

agricultural workers and accompanying family members. Despite its

status as California's premiere winegrape-growing region, many

agricultural workers in Napa County lack access to decent and

affordable housing. In order to identify ways to improve farm labor

housing conditions, Napa County contracted with CIRS to assess the

housing needs of agricultural workers and provide recommendations for

better meeting their housing needs. The research is based on a survey

of 200 farmworkers and150 agricultural employers, focus groups with

farmworkers and key informant interviews with experts familiar with

agricultural worker housing conditions. The findings identify the

numbers and characteristics of farmworkers employed in Napa County,

housing conditions, additional units necessary to adequately meet

their housing needs and additional recommendations for improving the

housing conditions of agricultural workers in Napa County.

The report can be found at:

http://www.cirsinc.org/docs/Napa_Farmworker_Housing_Assessment.pdf

Ron Strochlic

Executive Director

California Institute for Rural Studies

221 G Street, Suite 204

, CA 95616

530-756-6555 x16

www.cirsinc.org