Agricultural Workforce Housing Facilitation Team Meeting: May 8, 2025

The Agriculture Workforce Housing Facilitation Team (AWHFT) meets regularly to discuss farmworker housing, resources for farmworker housing, and how to address the needs of farmworkers in Oregon.

Meeting Agenda: May 8, 2025 at 10 a.m.

1. Agricultural Workforce Housing Tax Credit update
2. Oregon Agriculture Workforce Housing Grant Program update
3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) update
4. Casa of Oregon update
   

Meeting Notes

Agricultural Workforce Housing Tax Credit (AWHTC)

• $1,155,043 left to allocate in 2023-25 biennium AWHTC. If not reserved, this amount is returned to the state after June 30.
• New biennium begins on July 1 with a new $13.4 million AWHTCs. It will be available through the ORCA process for allocation to community-based projects.
• The On-Farm set-aside for 2025 is currently open with $1,675,000 available for application through the stand-alone application process accessible at Ag Workforce webpage.
  
• The On-Farm set-aside will be open until September 30, when any remaining unallocated credits will be returned to the community-based pool for allocation through the Oregon Centralized Applicaton (ORCA) process
• Potential applicants are encouraged to seek out AWHTCs.
  

Oregon Agriculture Workforce Housing Grant Program

• $5 million allocated by the 2023 Oregon Legislature.
• Solely for improving existing agricultural workforce housing (ORS 315.163).
• Program could not begin until OR-OSHA finalized housing rules.
• 108 different housing sites were covered in submitted applications.
• Grant agreements issued mid-May. Oregon Department of Agriculture aims to finalize by end of June.
• Award structure: 75% distributed initially, 25% later.
• Program runs through January 2, 2026.
• More info: oda.direct/grants
  
• Contact: Sunny Summers, sunny.summers@oda.oregon.gov, 503-986-4565
  

OSHA Housing Regulations Compliance

• Will email all related publications (ALA).
• Emphasized sensitivity in community engagement due to fear and trust issues.

Resources

• Fact Sheet 104: New employer provided requirements that are effective March 31, 2025
  
• Spanish Fact Sheet 104
• Fact Sheet 105: Employer provided housing requirements with delayed effective dates, January 2026 – January 2028
• Spanish Fact Sheet 105
• Fact Sheet 107: Cooking facilities in employer-provided housing
• Spanish Fact Sheet 107
• Fact Sheet 87: High temperatures in employer-provided housing
• Spanish Fact Sheet 87
• Fact Sheet 86: New requirements for sleeping areas in employer-provided housing
• Spanish Fact Sheet 86
  

Casa of Oregon Update

• Strawberry season updates: Someone from the growers side mentioned fresh strawberries are soon available.
  
• Casa Farmworker Housing Conference:
• Dates: July 29–31, 2025
• Location: Stevenson, WA
• Casa of Oregon – Farmworker Housing Conference
  
  

Next Meeting: August 14, 2025

The next meeting will be virtual on August 14, 2025. Please check online for meeting materials and updates. You can also view past meeting notes from previous sessions.

Have questions about AWHFT or this meeting? Please email Rachel Pallatin, OHCS community engagement coordinator, at rachel.pallatin@hcs.oregon.gov.

OHCS wants to ensure that everyone has access to its information and programs. If you would like this information in a different language, please email Language.Access@hcs.oregon.gov.