Outside the Inspections: Farmworker Housing Conditions and the Mismatch Between Official Reports and Lived Experiences

Farmworkers in the United States face persistent challenges in securing safe, affordable housing. This reality is particularly stark in San Mateo County, California. In the aftermath of the 2023 mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, investigations revealed that farmworkers had been living in hazardous conditions, including pest- and mold-infested shipping containers. In response, the County launched the Farmworker Housing Compliance Task Force, which inspected agricultural properties in unincorporated areas and identified 145 housing units, 66% of which met minimum safety standards. However, the final report omitted key data from California Terra Gardens—one of the shooting sites—where 12 units were red-tagged for serious violations. Further discrepancies emerged between official findings and the lived experiences of farmworkers. This thesis draws on thematic analysis of 12 interviews conducted by Urban Habitat and Puente de la Costa Sur to examine how farmworkers experience and understand their housing conditions. Six key themes emerged: affordability, housing quality, tenant-landlord dynamics, limited county engagement, privacy and ownership, and community support. These insights highlight critical gaps in the county’s current approach to oversight and support. To address these challenges, I offer four policy recommendations: (1) engage directly with farmworker communities, (2) improve existing housing stock, (3) legalize and expand new farmworker housing, and (4) increase access to economic and social resources. Centering farmworker voices is essential to building equitable, dignified housing systems for this marginalized workforce.