New California law sets path for more farmworker housing

As the state’s housing shortage spreads into rural communities, farmers will have new tools to address the chronic dearth of worker housing under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The measure, AB 1783, streamlines construction of new worker units on surplus farmland and provides incentives for the apartments. As a safeguard, the new apartments must be managed by a nonprofit third party.
But many farm industry groups have opposed the measure, saying there are better ways to increase the ho