As a part of an interdisciplinary team led by Stramberger Outreach Consulting, ECOnorthwest assisted the Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) Division by analyzing current information on housing needs and barriers of agricultural workers in a specific four-county area, including Hood River, Marion, Morrow, and Yamhill Counties. The team provided recommendations to address agricultural worker housing needs based on the information gathered and input from stakeholders, including farmworkers and farm owners. This study explored agricultural worker and employer perspectives, identified current and projected (five-year) housing gaps, and highlighted best practices for successful agricultural workforce housing projects. It also developed county-level housing need recommendations and strategies to reduce barriers to housing access while supporting potential partnerships to meet those needs. ECO developed a research plan, collected demographic information from farmworkers, and conducted interviews with agricultural workers and employers. Using these data, ECO analyzed housing needs and gaps and developed recommendations to address them.
