TO: Napa County Housing Commission
FROM: Emma Moyer, Interim Executive Director
REPORT BY: Alex Carrasco, Project Manager
SUBJECT: Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program Renewal
RECOMMENDATION
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Monthly report on the renewal process for the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program (Serna Grant). No action needed.
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BACKGROUND
The purpose of the Joe Serna, Jr. Farmworker Housing Grant Program (Serna Grant) is to fund new construction, rehabilitation, and acquisition of owner-occupied and rental units for agricultural workers, with a priority for lower income households. The program is administered by the Housing and Community Development, a department of the state of California.
In 2019, the Napa County Housing Authority (Authority) was awarded Serna Grant funding in the amount of $250,000 annually for a term not to extend beyond ten (10) years. Eligible uses of the funding are limited to maintenance and operations of the three-county owned farmworker centers. In exchange, the Authority agreed to continue to serve the needs of migrant farm workers in Napa County for twenty-five years from the first year of disbursement (2020).
Staff are engaged in a concerted effort to extend the existing agreement for an additional ten years, and increase the annual contribution to $500,000. The results of such efforts led to Assembly Bill 1890 (AB1890), sponsored by Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry and Senator Cabaldon. The purpose of today's report is to provide the commission with an update on such AB1890.
On June 10, 2026, AB 1890 passed the Senate Housing Committee on a 10-0-0 margin. The bill is now with the Senate Appropriations Committee and must pass by August 14 to be eligible to proceed to the Senate floor. The Legislature will recess during the month of July, and the bill will be heard at the Senate Appropriations Committee suspense file hearing in early August.
No action needed.
PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Staff Report
2. P...
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