The Board of Supervisors has greenlit a $2.2 million State of California grant to help low-income families afford to buy a home
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors has voted to approve a $2.2 million grant from the State of California that will enable the County to create homeownership opportunities for low-income agricultural workers.
The grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) will fund deferred-payment loans to households that include agricultural workers, who are a vital part of the South County community and economy.
The funds from the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Grant Program advance the County’s goals of increasing homeownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers and supporting Santa Clara County agriculture and its workforce. A thriving agricultural industry improves quality of life for residents and enhances the region’s sustainability and climate resilience.
“Not only do our farmworkers deserve safe and stable housing – they deserve real pathways to becoming first-time homeowners. Since the start of my term, I have prioritized our farmworkers by advancing our Agricultural Worker Housing Workplan, partnering with Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin on AB 3035 to streamline the development of agricultural worker housing, and more,” said Board of Supervisors Vice President Sylvia Arenas, who represents District 1, including South County. “I am so grateful to the Office of Supportive Housing for centering this work by successfully securing funding through the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program. With this funding, our farm workers will have real opportunities to become homeowners and build long-term stability for their families.”
With the Board’s approval, the County Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) can begin implementing the $2,202,500 grant. OSH will conduct targeted outreach to agricultural households in collaboration with South County partners, including local governments, nonprofits and schools.
The grant supports the County’s Manufactured Home Purchase Program, which was established by the Board in January 2025 with the goal of making homeownership more accessible to low-income households, including those with agricultural workers.
“Housing affordability remains one of the most pressing challenges for families across Santa Clara County, whether they’re trying to buy a home, rent an apartment, or simply stay in their current housing,” said County Executive James R. Williams. “That’s especially true for our agricultural workers, who do so much for our community and play such a vital role in our local economy. Thanks to the leadership of the Board of Supervisors, the County continues to take bold action to meet the growing need for accessible, affordable housing. This state grant funding supports our local efforts to confront housing affordability head-on and will help open new doors to homeownership for agricultural workers and their families.”
The Manufactured Home Purchase Program is part of a broader County effort to support the agriculture industry and its workers. That effort includes the Agricultural Worker Housing Workplan, the Agricultural Resilience Incentive Grant Program, and the allocation of $44 million in funding from the County’s $950 million Measure A Affordable Housing Bond, approved by voters in 2016. So far, the affordable housing bond has helped fund four South County developments that will create more than 253 homes, the majority of which will be set aside for agricultural workers.
The money from the Joe Serna Jr. Farmworker Grant Program is the first state funding of its kind that the County has received to support housing for agricultural workers.
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