Where: Soledad, California
Problem: Farmworkers in the Salinas Valley lack access to safe and affordable family housing.
Solution: RCAC provides a $207,000 predevelopment loan for an apartment complex for farmworkers and their families.

For a half century, Monterey area farmworkers have lived in the Camphora Labor Camp, which consisted of 44 two-bedroom 450 square foot concrete block homes. During the years the labor camp provided affordable shelter for migrant, single male, farmworkers. As farmworkers became less migrant, the aging labor camp became unsuitable for farmworkers because they were putting down roots in the community and bringing family members to the camp. Further, the water and septic systems became unreliable. Finally, the rapid decline in the camp’s condition drew the Center for Community Advocacy’s attention, which organized the tenants to take their com¬plaints to the camp owner.

The tenant organizing efforts led to the park’s purchase by a local nonprofit housing development agency, South County Housing (SCH). SCH made some short-term improvements to the park, most notably to the water and septic systems. To prepare for the long-term, SCH began to assemble financing for new apartments to replace the overcrowded and aging concrete block homes. With a $207,000 predevelopment loan from RCAC, SCH secured a $19 million financing package to build the 44-unit Camphora Apartment complex in Soledad.

These new apartments feature a mix of two- and three-bedroom units plus a foot community center and active play space for the children. The apartments are a big step up from the dilapidated labor camp and the rents are affordable for low-income farmworker families.