Source: USDA

Background

In many parts of the country, peak season for many labor-intensive commodities is quickly approaching. The Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce: Ensuring Community and National Resilience in COVID-19 Response (https://www.cisa.gov/publication/guidanceessential-critical-infrastructure-workforce) designates farm work as essential critical infrastructure. Although not required by law for domestic farm and fishery workers, often workers are provided housing by their employers. Moreover, the H-2A visa program requires that an employer provide housing to an H-2A worker and corresponding domestic non-H-2A workers who cannot reasonably return to their residence at the end of the workday. Typically, farmworker housing is communal, which could provide an increased risk for the spread of COVID-19. The federal government is engaging key stakeholders and gathering potential resources that may provide alternative options for farmers and migrant workers to protect worker safety and maintain critical working infrastructure. Employers should ensure that any options considered meet required regulatory housing standards. The following pages outline potential federal, state, and philanthropic alternate housing opportunities for seasonal farmworkers and will be updated as additional opportunities are identified.

For the list of resources, click here.