KGET – TV (Bakersfield, California)

February 7, 2007

Wasco farm workers await Gov. Schwarzenegger's approval to cease evictions

BAKERSFIELD - Wasco farm workers on the brink of being evicted from their homes because of their immigration status may be able to stay.

But, that depends on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's approval of a plan to stop evictions for those affected by the crop freeze.

Sen. Dean Florez (D-Shafter) asked the governor Wednesday to basically relax the rules on migrant housing.

Florez's proposed one year moratorium would stop evictions for undocumented farm workers who lost their jobs due to the recent crop freeze.

Almost 200 farm workers gathered at Veterans Hall in Wasco Tuesday night.

They pleaded with city council to let them stay in their government subsidized housing.

"How can you be talking about housing and protecting the farm workers right now and on the other hand then housing authority trying to evict people?" said Lupe Martinez, United Farm Workers Union.

City council members said a new housing authority board began cracking down on key housing regulations that previous boards did not.

One of the regulations is to have illegal working status in the U.S.

Many locally do not have legal status, according to the UFW.

They said at least six families have received notice they have a month to vacate.

"The Wasco Housing Authority has indicated that they are going to continue," Armando Elenes, UFW. "Their plan is to continue to evict people on a monthly basis."

Florez stepped in asking Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to relax the rules to avoid a migrant housing crisis.

"All we're asking the governor to do is to step in and not have evictions during this emergency time during the freeze," said Florez, "and not put more farm workers out … and be competing with other farm workers that have been laid off."

"It's almost a state of emergency where people from their home, yet the governor, all he has to say is, 'It's not going to happen,'" said Danny Espita, Mayor of Wasco.

Florez said he asked that the workers receive rental assistance so the valley can keep its farm labor force.

"The governor himself can provide rental assistance for those who need it," Florez said, "and we don't think a freeze is any different from a tsunami, an earthquake, or any other disaster and we think farm workers deserve the same treatment from the state of California.'"

The governor's office said they will work with Washington and the UFW to find where the rental assistance is needed most. They also said the governor is reviewing Florez's request for one year moratorium evictions.