Half Moon Bay Massacre Anniversary Highlights Struggles of Farmworkers

As California commemorates a tragic event, the plight of undocumented farmworkers, their living conditions and access to food benefits remain critical issues.

• Half Moon Bay commemorates the one-year anniversary of a mass shooting that exposed the poor living conditions of farmworkers, with many living in improvised, mold-infested shanties and shipping containers.
• Despite agriculture being a $55.9 billion industry in California, many undocumented workers, who make up more than half of California's farmworkers, struggle with food insecurity.
• Current federal law bars undocumented immigrants from accessing CalFresh food benefits, even though they pay into the social safety net through payroll taxes.
• In 2022, the state Legislature approved a proposal to expand food assistance benefits to undocumented immigrants aged 55 or older, excluding 92% of undocumented farmworkers.
• Three housing developments in Half Moon Bay are in the planning stages to provide better housing for farmworkers, but it could take another one to four years until they’re move-in ready.

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