Wayne County is home to thousands of acres of active farms and farmland that require in-person labor to prune, prepare, plant, maintain and harvest crops and animal products. Farmers in the region often supply housing for such farmworkers on site, either seasonal or year-round, depending on the nature of their business. The New York State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is offering new funding through the federal CARES act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security). The program specifically targets mobile-manufactured home replacement for farmworker housing.
Wayne County Planning Office is currently accepting applications in advance of the anticipated funding for the Farmworker Mobile-Manufactured Housing Replacement program. The program is designed to improve the quality of farmworker housing, specifically with the goal of creating safer housing conditions in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant funds are intended to help farms safely house this critically needed workforce. All eligible applicants will be chosen by lottery with priority going to farm businesses with pre-1976 mobile homes available for farmworker housing located in the County. Applications are due before May 13, 2022.
For more information on the Farmworker Housing Replacement program, please contact Ora Rothfuss, Ag Development Specialist at [email protected] or call 315-946-7697. Online FAQ and application are located here.
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