Oregon farmers say new farmworker housing rules could lead to workforce shortages.  Farmworker advocates said the rules don’t address all of their concerns, while farmers say they can’t afford the changes.

 

Oregon is updating farmworker housing rules that some advocates have said are alarmingly outdated.  The requirements come after years of negotiations and include sweeping changes, such as mandating kitchens.  The current rules don’t require farmworker housing to have a kitchen, but Oregon OSHA said most of the state’s registered labor housing does have some sort of kitchen facility.  Other changes require houses to have at least 50 square feet per bed in sleeping rooms with bunk beds; currently the rules allow for 40 square feet per bed.

 

The changes were made over several meeting sessions with farmers, and farm worker groups and were meant to strengthen health and safety standards in farmworker housing, while also giving employers time to adjust to the changes and financial resources, according to Aaron Corvin, a spokesperson for Oregon OSHA.

 

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