Senator Murray's Latino News Update
At the beautiful Buena Nueva housing community, Senator Murray (at
left) updated residents and leaders about our progress on farmworker
housing.
August 2005
Celebrating Our Progress on Farmworker Housing
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"Working families
have the right to dignity. They have the right to safe, decent, affordable
housing, and the Trust and Buena Nueva Housing make that a reality."
- Senator Murray, Buena Nueva Housing Community, August 2, 2005
Dear Friend:
On Tuesday, August 2nd, I joined dozens of farmworkers, growers,
advocates, and community
leaders in Yakima County to celebrate our progress in providing safe,
decent, affordable housing for Washington's farmworkers.
We gathered in Buena (just outside Yakima) at Buena Nueva, a beautiful,
two-year old farmworker housing community. With dozens of friends
and neighbors gathered near the community center, I announced that
I've secured another $1.5 million in federal funding to support farmworker
housing.
Leaders from across the state spoke about the progress we've made
and the challenges that lie ahead. This update summarizes our celebration.
Listen
to Senator Murray's Remarks
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A Challenge for Our State
As I told the audience:
"All of us recognize
that farmworker housing is a moral issue, an economic issue, and a
family issue. Too many workers and their families face very difficult
living conditions. Some live in their cars. Others share run-down,
overcrowded rooms with other families. These are not the kinds of
living conditions we can tolerate in the United States in the 21st
Century. They are certainly not suitable for the people who help put
food on our tables and who keep our state's economy strong. We can
do better, and all of you recognized that and got to work."
From Division to Unity
For many years, the challenge of farmworker housing seemed like it
was stuck in neutral. There was a
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It
was great to see members of the Washington State Farmworker
Housing Trust Board at the farmworker housing celebration in
Buena.
(click
for full photo & caption) |
sense of division that made it hard for different sides to come together
and make progress.
But with help from the federal and state governments, a dedicated
group of leaders started bringing people together.
Several years ago, I secured $1 million to help growers with on-farm
infrastructure. The State of Washington established a $40 million
fund to address community-based housing shortages.
We had seed money, but we needed leaders who could bring people together.
So in 2003, I called together 16 leaders from around the state to
form the Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust.
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As I told the audience in Buena:
"You turned farmworker housing
from a stalemate to a success. You built a partnership that is housing
families, helping growers, and supporting communities. Now, when people
in other states try to address farmworker housing, they look at Washington
State and say – 'It can be done!' "
The Trust Is Making Progress
The Trust and its members have soared beyond my own
expectations. They created a partnership between agencies, growers,
and farm worker advocates. They incorporated as a non-profit, figured
out the needs, and surveyed the best practices from around the country.
Seeking Out New Sources of Funding
The Trust has also brought many new players to the table, including
the philanthropic community. Now
companies, foundations, and grant makers understand the challenge of
farmworker housing and are getting involved.
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Bringing People Together
The Trust has built a partnership that houses families, helps growers,
and supports communities. At
our celebration in Yakima County, Erik Nicholson of the United Farmworkers
of America, captured this feeling best.
"[Farmworkers and growers] talk to each other.
We have monthly meetings where we duke it out. We figure out how we
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Mario
Villanueva thanked the broad group of supporters. He is Executive
Director of the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services.
(click
for full photo & caption) |
are going to do this and recognize we have a crisis.
The only way we are going to solve it is by working together, talking,
and figuring out a common solution," Nicholson said.
This level of cooperation has produced significant change in the
battle for decent, affordable housing.
As Mario Villanueva, the Executive Director of the Diocese of Yakima
Housing Services, expressed in his remarks, this effort has brought
together a wide range of organizations from the Washington's Growers
League to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
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Buena Nueva Agricultural Worker Housing
New, affordable housing like Buena Nueva Agricultural Worker
Housing exemplify what working families deserve. The celebration
also included remarks by county leaders and residents. Isabel Suarez,
a Buena resident who has eight children, told the celebration: "More
than anything else, I am happy to see that my children are living
in a place that is very appropriate for them."
Ruthanna Rebman,
the Chair of Buena Nueva Community Council, said, "It has been
helpful for many people to have a good, clean, reliable, desirable place
to live.
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A Community Celebrates
At the celebration, advocates, community leaders, and growers also
shared their thoughts on the
progress made by the Trust and its impact on a personal and professional
level.
State Representative Phyllis Kenney, an advocate for farmworker related
issues over the years, shared her own experiences.
"Doing what is right is not always easy at times. Coming from
a farmworker family, having lived in the car, having lived by the
riverbanks, having lived in chicken coops, I know what it is like
first-hand. And to see people working together to create housing like
this, it is not only right, but it is absolutely great. And as Senator
Murray says, people have the right and the dignity to live good lives
like human beings and all citizens of this state should have that
right, and especially farmworkers who are a critical part of our economic
stability in this state and economic development because without them,
this state would not do as well as it does…This housing project
is beautiful because it tells you that when we come together to do
the right thing, things will happen."
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Mike Gempler of Washington Growers League also shared why he and
the state's growers are
committed to the Trust's mission.
"The reason the Washington Growers League is involved in this
is because the Washington State Housing Trust and the work that it
is doing and the funding secured by Senator Murray are all good for
growers. It is good for growers because it helps our industry be stable
over the long-term. This funding and the state's Farmworker Housing
Trust will help growers and communities build housing that is needed
for the workers who come and grow and harvest our crops."
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More Federal Funding
I was pleased to announce that I've secured $1.5 million in federal
funding for the Washington State Farmworker Housing Trust. "These
dollars will help you serve more people, improve the infrastructure,
and provide a range of
housing options for hard working families. In Washington, D.C. many housing programs
are being cut, including Section 8 and other lifelines for working families.
It wasn't easy to secure this funding in a tight budget year, but I
know it will be worthwhile and will make a big difference for the families
you serve. Working families have a right to dignity. They have a
right to safe, decent affordable housing, and you make that a reality."
At the celebration, Erik Nicholson explained how this additional
funding will help address the need for an additional 40,000 units.
Juan Aguilar, the President of the Trust, shared how the Trust will
use the funds to reach that objective. "In the coming months,
the Trust Board will work to double this appropriation by securing
grants
from foundations that have expressed an interest in the work of the
Trust. You [Senator Murray] have given us a tremendous boost in that
effort. Senator Murray, we are profoundly grateful."
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With this additional funding, we must answer the call of women like
Maria Aguiar, a Buena resident.
Maria implored us, "Keep fighting for this. There are a lot
of us who
will need this type of housing. We cannot afford elegant housing
some place else. This is a nice house and we like it here."
Washington State House of Representatives Speaker Frank Chopp reported
on the progress made in the Washington state legislature.
"This session, we doubled the amount of money for farmworker
housing from $8 million to $16 million—$16 million dollars to
help duplicate this kind of great effort."
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Sharing Moments with the Buena Community
At the end of the program, three children who live in
the community presented me with pictures
of their homes which they had colored.
After receiving these drawings, Maria Ramirez opened her home to me
for a tour. It was a great example of what we are all working for –
a safe, affordable place for Washington's agricultural workers and their
children – and a place that gives people the dignity they deserve.
I want to thank the Diocese of Yakima Housing Services, Buena Housing
Associates Limited Partnership, and all of the partners for hosting
our celebration.
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Get Updates
To get updates on Latino issues, please visit:
http://murray.senate.gov/latino/update.cfm
To get updates on Housing issues, please visit
http://murray.senate.gov/economy/housingcomments.cfm
To get weekly updates on all issues affecting Washington state, please
visit:
http://murray.senate.gov/updates/
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