MONTEREY COUNTY (California) HERALD April 5, 2007
STRUGGLE TO FIND TENANTS
Leonel Longoria has lived in the Casa del Sol apartments in Salinas since the farmworker housing complex was inaugurated almost 10 years ago. It's always been the same, he said. The units, which can house up to 44 people, have never been fully occupied. "People come and go, but most don't come back," Longoria said Tuesday, standing outside the cottage he shares with another man, though it can house up to eight people. Despite persistent problems of overcrowding in Salinas, the Housing Authority of Monterey County has found it difficult to attract tenants to Casa del Sol, a complex for single field workers that was inaugurated in 1998. Housing authority representatives say they don't think cost is a deterrent. Rents range from $175 to share a bedroom and $250 for a room alone. Rather, they say, it's the paperwork and the competition that keep away farmworkers. Now the Housing Authority wants to transfer Casa del Sol to Interim Inc., an organization that helps house individuals with severe mental illnesses. "Given the scarcity of land and housing, this is not the highest and best use," said Starla Warren, director of development for the Housing Authority. "We have identified farm labor preferences, so we're making up for the loss of inventory on a couple of other sites (that are) more family oriented." It's an idea that's attractive to Interim. Formed in 1975, Interim has available 199 beds in a combination of permanent, transitional and emergency housing units. It has a waiting list of about 130 people, said Executive Director Barbara Mitchell, and could certainly use the added space. "The housing authority had approached us and we looked at the whole idea five years ago," Mitchell said. "We had responded to it at the time. They thought (Casa del Sol) was underutilized, and we responded." In 2001, Salinas officials allowed the modification of Casa del Sol's permit so it could house people other than farmworkers during the winter. That still didn't fill the space, so two years ago they requested proposals for alternative use of the premises. The most recent response came from Interim, which also operates Lupine Gardens in Salinas. Housing experts say Casa del Sol has not been attractive to farmworkers for a number of reasons, including the lack of availability of food on the premises and because of its complex application process. "They often talk about the fact there's not food, like a cafeteria -- that's a major problem in renting the site," said Don Reynolds with the Salinas Redevelopment Agency. "Single room occupancy (sites) aren't doing that well, either." Next door to Casa del Sol is Campo Graciano, a motel-like building where many farmworkers make their homes. Liceo Rodriguez, a cauliflower harvester, said he's lived there for two years and likes having a kitchen on site. "I eat there every day," he said. "They give us credit. I can eat there for two weeks, and they just write it down. When I get paid, I just go pay up." Rodriguez is happy where he is, he said. "I've brought friends to apply" to Casa del Sol, he said. "I don't know if they were ever accepted." The application process can be complex. Applicants must fill out a series of forms and meet certain requirements, such as income level. Some housing experts believe farmworkers, many of whom are likely undocumented, are not comfortable dealing with an official organization like the Housing Authority. Others say they may feel more at home renting a room or a space to live with a family. "A fellow at the state of California gave me a refreshing look," Reynolds said. "He pointed me to a couple of projects where, instead of being only for single men, they were a combination for families and single men, like you'd find in any community. He indicated that was more successful than the old-fashioned, single room occupancy model." Although there seems to be support for transferring Casa del Sol to Interim, a farmworker advocacy group has vowed to fight the proposed change. Juan Uranga is executive director of the Center for Community Advocacy, a group that works on housing for farmworkers. At the March 15 meeting of the Salinas City Council housing committee, Uranga said he would challenge any recommendation to sell the land for any other use than farmworker housing. Uranga could not be reached for comment Wednesday. The housing committee is scheduled to discuss the issue at a special meeting today.
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