Half Moon Bay focuses on farmworker housing as community mourns

The Half Moon Bay community on Friday is again remembering seven farmworkers who died in a mass shooting two years ago. 

A public memorial will be held between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday night. But as Half Moon Bay continues to focus on healing, it is also moving forward with plans to improve housing for farmworkers.

It was Jan. 23, 2023, when an employee in the farmworker community killed four of his co-workers at one farm and then drove more than two miles and killed three others at a second farm.  

While the shootings remain a deep scar in this coastside community, the victims will never be forgotten.  

"It is a very sad reminder of what our farmworkers went through, the victims, their families, the loss.  As we remember their lives, we honor them, we honor the work and what they contributed and continue to contribute to the community," said Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, the executive director of the group ALAS, which works on behalf of farmworkers in the coastal communities of San Mateo County. 

Ever since the shootings, attention has been focused on the issue of substandard housing for farmworkers.  

Already well under construction is this complex known as 880 Stone Pine, which will have 47 units and is expected to open in May 2025. 

Also nearby, at 555 Kelly Avenue, is a city-owned property which will be torn down and converted into another 40 units of farmworker housing for "senior farmworkers" who work into their 70s or even 80s.  

Related

Half Moon Bay marks 2-years since mass shooting

Flowers and a banner placed in the plaza across from the Half Moon Bay City Hall Thursday, commemorated the 2-year anniversary of the mass shooting at two local farms.

"People often say ‘retired farmworkers’ and that is sort of a misnomer as most farmworkers do not have 401k and retirement plans that will allow them to retire in any kind of comfort," said Lilli Rey, board president of ALAS.

While the housing numbers may still be small, San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller, who represents the coast side, says nothing is easy about building in this community, but he does see positive momentum. 

"There is certainly a lot more work to be done around building housing but the thing that we see generating more and more is the political will," Mueller said. 

National leaders in the farmworker movement say several things are different about Half Moon Bay than in some similar communities.  

For one, many farmworkers here are multi-generational and stay in the community rather than more transitional, seasonal workers, in other regions.

Also, the alignment of the industry, farmworker advocates, and political leaders is a benefit that simply does not exist in many other places.  

"The challenge is if you are building a house for people who are low income, there’s not a lot of money in it, so who is really interested in that? In other parts of the country, it is much more transient. You have the guest worker program where people come in for three to six months," said Julie Taylor, executive director of the National Farm Worker Ministry based in Raleigh, North Carolina.  

Taylor’s group works on housing issues for farmworkers across the nation.

Friday night’s memorial was held from 6 to 8 p.m. at 636 Purissima Street in Half Moon Bay. 

Half Moon BayMass ShootingsNewsHousing