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�• s Page 2 of 3 been built in the county. But 350 farmworker units are under construction or in the planning stages. When completed, they will boost by about half the number of housing units in the county dedicated to farmworkers and their families. Projects include a 58 -unit south Oxnard development of single - family homes and apartments set to open by year's end and 100 rental units proposed by farming giant Limoneira Co. for its sprawling Santa Paula ranch. "It's really good to have this many units in the pipeline, and it's just a drop in the bucket," said Karen Flock, housing development director for Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. The Saticoy -based nonprofit, the county's leading builder of low- income housing, is completing construction of the farmworker project in south Oxnard and has five others in the planning stages. Flock said each would require extensive community support, pointing to the importance of housing groups that have formed in the five cities. "It's just incredibly valuable for people in the community to understand the need for this and to come out and be supportive," Flock said. The momentum has been built, in part, by years of arm - twisting by affordable- housing advocates. Lawsuits by legal aid attorneys over the years have prompted commitments to farmworker housing in Oxnard and Camarillo. The newfound focus also is triggered by a broader concern over housing for all segments of the workforce, as the median home price in Ventura County approaches $700,000 and the average rent tops $1,300 a month. But largely the interest has been spurred by a growing belief that in order to keep farmers in business -- which voters have said they want to do through the adoption of farmland preservation measures -- steps must be taken to house those who work the harvest. In response, county officials have surveyed farmworker housing needs and loosened zoning codes to encourage housing construction for agricultural workers. Those efforts have been bolstered in recent years by passage of a statewide housing bond, which has funneled nearly $100 million toward construction of more than 5,000 farmworker housing units since 2003. So far, $11 million of that pot has been allocated to Ventura County for construction and rehabilitation of nearly 200 units. Included is a $361,000 grant announced earlier this month to replace a dozen dilapidated trailers owned by farmworkers in south Oxnard. The attitude shift is most apparent in individual cities, where housing groups have formed and businesses and residents are contributing money to the House Farm Workers campaign. "There are many different types of players involved now," said corporate consultant Linda Braunschweiger, who heads the Camarillo housing group. Her clients include the nonprofit affordable homebuilder Peoples' Self -Help Housing and Affinity Bank, which has contributed $5,000 to the effort. "The City Council tends to hear from neighbors who are opposed to certain projects," she said. "What we are doing is trying to bring [housing advocates] to the table so that when a project comes forward, city officials can hear the other side." In each of the cities, the mission of the farmworker housing groups extends beyond advocacy. Members of each group actively seek to identify parcels on which farmworker housing can be built and help shape government policies to pave the way for construction of more dwellings. Nowhere are those efforts paying bigger dividends than in Santa Paula, which has three farmworker housing projects, totaling 85 units, working through the planning process. Those projects include a 20 -unit apartment development by the Sherman Oaks -based Corp. for Better Housing, scheduled to break ground in a few weeks. The $12- million project, which has been three years in the making and required seven layers of financing, will consist of units with plush carpet, Whirlpool appliances and granite countertops. Units will rent for 40% to 45% below market rates, or roughly $645 a month for a two - bedroom apartment. "We are very encouraged that the momentum has changed considerably," said Santa Paula resident Dora Crouch, an author and architectural history professor who heads the local housing group. "It's a matter of changing peoples' perceptions," she said. "People are beginning to realize that the need for farmworker housing is not just 'their' problem, it's our problem too." Farm housing http: / /www6. lexisnexis .com /publisherlEndUser? Action= UserDisplayFullDocument &orgId =1593 &topi... 09/27/2005