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WASHINGTON (Indiana) TIMES-HERALD
City Council seeks to limit housing
occupants
By Nate Smith, Staff Writer
The
Washington City Council is looking into a possible ordinance that would
limit the amount of people living in one home.
Due to
recent situations involving migrant workers hired and housed by area
farms, Mayor Larry Haag asked council members if they would be willing
to back him on an ordinance that would restrict occupants in a home
based on square footage.
Haag said
there were two homes where migrant workers were living in cramped
conditions, some as many as 20 to 25 people living in a 1,200
square-foot home.
“They don’t
allow this activity on a migrant farm,” Haag said. “We are going to be
right here on the very same discussion next year because the state is
not going to do anything about it.”
The city
contacted local health officials, who then let the state Department of
Health know of the situations and performed an investigation. Haag said
by the time the state did anything about the situation, the workers
would be gone. The migrant worker season in this area is about eight
weeks.
“They’ve
been there for six weeks now,” Haag said.
Haag,
because there was a state investigation, could not reveal the farms who
are housing the workers. During the council discussions, the farmers
were renting local houses because regulations were strict for migrant
housing on farm property.
Council
members have said the city has explored the possibility before in past
administrations, but said the city of
Haag said
any ordinance would not be prejudicial to migrant workers who come
through the area.
“This is not
against the migrant worker, but this is a way to protect them,” Haag
said.
No timetable
was given for a possible ordinance, Haag said, but added he and City
Attorney Jeff Norris were looking at ordinances, like the Huntingburg
ordinance, that would help with the problem.
“We wonder
if we do have the capability and we are exploring that capability,” Haag
said.
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