XPost: alt.agriculture.misc, alt.california, alt.politics.democrats
XPost: sac.politics, talk.politics.guns

Although they have lived there for nearly a year, Jun Chen and Yan Wang
still donÆt use the kitchen in their temporary apartment at the top of the
hill in Moss Beach. In the place for utensils on the drying rack beside
their sink, the couple keeps their toothbrushes and a tube of toothpaste.

Chen and Wang still prepare most meals in the communal kitchen at Concord
Farms in Half Moon Bay where they work. For years, they shared the space
with several other workers who lived alongside them there in sparsely
furnished rooms overlooking rows of mushroom cultivation trays.

That was before Jan. 23, 2023, the day their former co-worker, Chunli
Zhao, went on a rampage at two farms in Half Moon Bay, fatally shooting
seven immigrant farmworkers, including three of Chen and WangÆs
colleagues. The shooting brought to light the harsh living conditions at
the two mushroom farms, California Terra Garden and Concord Farms ù mold- infested rooms that would flood regularly, and dilapidated shipping
containers that often lacked heat and running water. In the immediate aftermath, the families were moved into temporary housing paid for by the county and city, and the housing at the farms was condemned and destroyed.

Two years later, some permanent farmworker housing is coming into view. In
May, most of the families directly affected by the shooting will move into
a new manufactured housing development at 880 Stone Pine Cove, with 47
trailers dedicated to housing farmworkers. A modest monthly rental payment
will build equity for the families, allowing them to own the trailer
outright after 20 years.

For survivors like Chen and Wang, itÆs a milestone in their journey since
the shooting, which has sent them shuffling between hotels and temporary housing.

ôI have gained and I have lost,ö Chen said in Mandarin through an
interpreter.

But as the victims finally get a dignified place to live, itÆs unclear
whether San Mateo County has done enough to keep other farmworkers from experiencing similarly devastating conditions, and advocates say
farmworkers throughout the state still live in subpar housing.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, the county established a task
force to inspect housing at all farms on county-owned land. Two-thirds of
the farms met minimum health and safety standards, and the county directed
the other third to make improvements. At three farms, housing for farmers
was red-tagged and families were required to move out.

At a news conference on Friday, San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller announced a $2 million forgivable loan program that farmers and tenants
can apply for to make improvements and repairs to their homes. He also
said the county would consider streamlining its zoning process to make it easier to build farmworker housing. ThatÆs on top of two bills signed into
law by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year intended to help turn temporary migrant housing into permanent housing to allow migrant workers with families a
stable place to live all year long.

Some survivors, though, worry that once they move into the new housing,
theyÆll be forgotten. Already, Juan Flores-Lopez, the manager of
California Terra Garden, has seen how the communityÆs support has faded
along with the collective memory of the massacre.

ôIn the beginning, people from the county were coming every day, asking us
how we were doing,ö Flores-Lopez said. ôBut as time passes, the support is diminishing. ItÆs totally different now.ö

Flores-Lopez has watched this year as Half Moon BayÆs planning commission stalled on approving a 40-unit apartment complex for senior farmworkers downtown. Residents complained the four-story building at 555 Kelly Ave.
would change the cityÆs character and might create parking problems.
Frustrated with the lack of movement on the project, Newsom even stepped
up pressure on the city, threatening legal action.

After getting the commissionÆs reluctant sign-off in May and surviving
appeals, the project seemed to be in the clear. But approvals took so long
that the developer, Mercy Housing, missed deadlines to apply for funding
it needs to start construction. Contracts that the city, which owns the
land, had executed with Mercy also lapsed, and they must be renewed for
Mercy to move forward. But with a new council in place ù which includes
the newly elected Paul Nagengast, one of the three appellants of the
project ù itÆs not clear the project will move forward.

ôItÆs unconscionable to think that a person will come here and work their entire lives as a member of our economy, paying taxes, putting food on our tables, and then in their old age, are left with no safety net,ö Mueller
said.

ItÆs still a long way to retirement for Flores-Lopez, Chen and Wang.
TheyÆve continued to show up at work since the shooting, and are
constantly reminded of the colleagues they lost.

On Thursday, the second anniversary of the shooting, Chen and Wang shared memories of Aixang Zhang, 74, and Zhishen Liu, 73, some of the only
friends they had made in isolation at the farm. At the end of the workday,
the two couples would cook with each other and share dishes ù Chen and
Wang stir-frying chicken and vegetables in a traditional Southern Chinese style, and Zhang and Liu making dumplings, a Northern Chinese staple. The
older couple would show Chen and Wang photos of their grandchildren, who
they planned to visit in their retirement, which they would have taken
this year.

These days, though, when Chen and Wang sit down for dinner at the farm,
they eat alone.

ôBefore, we were always talking and chatting and cooking,ö Chen said.

HeÆs looking forward to being in a community again. Even if he and the
other workers donÆt share a language, he knows they all came to the U.S.
for the same reason ù to provide better lives for their children, as he
and Wang did when they moved from Wuhan six years ago.

ôAfter I came to the U.S., I felt like I was starting life over,ö Wang
said. ôAfter the shooting, it was like starting over again.ö

Now, in five months, she and Chen will have their own space, and be on a
path toward home ownership. Her daughter, 28, also just recently moved
from China and started school at the College of San Mateo. Another chance
at a new life. Another start. Again.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/01/26/half-moon-bay-shooting-farmworker- housing/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)