Local officials and home builders on Feb. 13 celebrated the groundbreaking for the construction of a project that will bring 65 affordable houses for farmworkers to north Morgan Hill.
Developer Eden Housing is building the project, known as The Magnolias, which is partially funded by voter-approved funds from Santa Clara County’s 2016 Measure A Affordable Housing bond.
The homes will be set aside for farmworker households earning between 30-50% of the area median income, and for people facing housing insecurity or homelessness, according to county staff. The area median income for a four-person family in Santa Clara County is about $195,000.
Eden Housing representatives, as well as officials from the county and City of Morgan Hill, gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony at the construction site on Friday. County officials noted The Magnolias project reflects the county’s broader work to support the agriculture industry and its workers by facilitating the construction of more affordable housing.
“Farmworkers are the backbone of our community. They deserve more than our gratitude—they deserve a place to call home,” Board of Supervisors Vice President Sylvia Arenas said. “I am proud to have fought for the funding needed to close the gap for The Magnolias project, delivering 28 dedicated units for farmworkers.
“This is just the beginning of creating housing stability for them—together, we are building a future where every farmworker can live with the dignity and stability they deserve.”
The county contributed $25 million to The Magnolias, of which $22.3 million is funded by the $950 million Measure A bond. Another $1.3 million for The Magnolias came from the State of California’s No Place Like Home program.
Nearly half the units at The Magnolias, which will occupy a 1.5-acre site, will be dedicated to farmworkers and their families. Other units will be set aside for veterans and households that are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The project will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program to support veteran residents.
Since 2016, the county has dedicated $44 million in affordable housing bond funds to four developments in South County totaling more than 253 homes, with nearly 60 set aside for agricultural workers, county staff said.
“This groundbreaking is personal to me,” Deputy County Executive Consuelo Hernandez said. “My grandfather and uncles came to this country as braceros, and members of my family still farm in Mexico today. In Santa Clara County, agricultural workers sustain and enrich our community, and they deserve safe, stable and dignified housing.
“Today, we are honoring their vital contributions by investing in homes for the workers who help feed us every day.”
The project will include a rooftop terrace, community garden, playground and other amenities. The new housing units will be a mix of studios and one- to three-bedroom homes.
“The Magnolias represents what’s possible when local governments and community partners come together with a shared commitment to housing stability,” said Linda Mandolini, president and CEO of Eden Housing. “We are deeply grateful to the City of Morgan Hill, the County of Santa Clara and our financial partners for their leadership and partnership in bringing this much-needed project to fruition.”
Not for American citizens..but for illegals . We didnt vote our taxes to go towards non citzens…we have so many American citizens in need of housing.
This is exactly why funds are missing in California and our homeless grew expendentially and the money just disappeared
did you even read the article? it says for veterans and farmworkers. do you not like food on your table or supporting our country’s veterans? shame on you.
I been looking for housing since 2017. I’m on a fixed income and can’t afford rent. I’m not a veteran but I’m an American. I’ve had a hard life and I’d like a place to call home. I am homeless because rents way to expensive. There’s no help. No hope and no humanity in the us.
And for other homeless like the mentally ill and drug addicts , don’t forget the other unwanted citizens that will be looking at this as their new home. The support needed for those that can affordable housing. Unfortunately I have only !!00 dollars a month because I have been disabled for thirty years. My husband left me and I only got the house with a mortgage that would take another 25 years to pay off. If I did not have a home to live in and rent rooms out I would not have the food and medicine I need. Many women the same age as I without a house are not so lucky and find housing impossible to pay for so they sleep wherever they can.
That is no way for a woman to have to live-especially in a Country as Great as ours.
They are using the farm workers to make everyone think this project is going to help the community. In reality that place will bring down Morgan Hill. Not all homeless are good people down on their luck. This will bring in questionable people from all around the county if not the bay area. If it was to help farm workers why not expand the trailer park next door to this new project. I have seen this before, the crime will go up and quality of the town will go down. I am not racist. I am Mexican. I want to help the homeless but I don’t want to destroy our community doing it.
Folks, this is a great example of our tax dollars being spent on less than ideal solutions. Nearly one million dollars per unit is an INSANE use of public subsidy. We need to be creative or homelessness will never be solved. Previous similar projects here have had to recruit low income from elsewhere just to fill the buildings. Do we need more development projects or should we actually work on homelessness? Read up on San Jose’s progress.
I’m a working homeless 55 year old along with a friend that left her boyfriend we are Americans living in a RV thank God because renting a room daily has left me without money every time I get paid we are trying to survive but no luck I am greatfull however .Two homeless women out here just because someone or life just gets crossed I’ve been through so much I just want my own place to call home I’m a original from Morgan hill now in a place called tres pinos in RV I cry daily my truck her car are older n need work it’s one thing after another but I work for two ppl n I work helping my friend she’s disabled if u can help us move back to Morgan hill then I can say I was supported by the ppl n by Eden house so far I’ve had no luck instead of bringing all the ppl from different places help the ppl born n raised in Morgan hill .I work everyday since I was 14 I got homeless because my mom’s landlord didn’t like me she said it to me to my mother n my father just passed n I had hip replacement lost my apartment in Gilroy when I did everythg to get it three major thgs and just because of a opinion of me a women landlord from another country I’m American where’s the justice I left she didn’t want me there I didn’t want a problem for my mother so now I’m far away from my senior mother but all because a racist a rude landlord that has property that was not born here be able to be so in human n rude n just plain ugly to me and actually threaten my mother if I didn’t leave she would lose her housing voucher so since that day in July I’ve been struggling until my friend said I can go with her to a RV I said ok so if anyone wants to help us out please feel free I love Morgan hill my father is buried there I would love to be close to him n be with my mom more n help her n love her like we do God bless everyone ! Thank u for the opportunity to speak !
I am just wondering how come any time any shelters or any places that are built for the homeless are so expensive it seems like these crazy amounts of money are spent to build all these pre fab or low grade grade places that are way over priced. Someone needs to actually budget a whole lot better and actually try to save money instead of blowing like 26 million dollars on prefab shelter apartments that already are falling apart in San Jose off of branham. Who’s really benefitting from these way over priced projects going on to shelter the unhoused????