Southwest Border Region, Colonias and Migrant Farmworkers Initiatives

"...all of us have a shared responsibility to ensure that the lives of those hard-working Americans, most of whom work in agriculture in these border regions, have the decent and safe living conditions to which all Americans...are entitled" Former HUD Secretary Mel Martinez

Why focus on colonia residents and migrant farmworkers?

Migrant/farmworkers and residents of rural communities along the US-Mexican border known as colonias experience some of the worst housing conditions in the United States. Thirty percent of colonia residents live in poverty, and a staggering 61 percent of farmworkers live below the poverty level. These two underserved, rural populations have many similarities and yet face unique challenges.

Colonias residents have an average income of just $5,000/year. The vast majority of "persistent poverty" counties are in the Texas border region. In migrant/farmworker communities 33% live in moderate to severe substandard housing, and 34% pay more than 1/3 of their income for housing.

Colonias

Colonias are rural communities located within 150 miles of the US-Mexican Border that often lack the basic infrastructure most Americans take for granted -running water, electricity, and paved roads. These mostly unincorporated communities began to be developed in the 1950s and continue to exist for a variety of reasons, such as ineffective land use regulations.

Without safe, sanitary and affordable housing, potable water, sewer and drainage systems, colonias struggle with issues often associated with the Third World.

Colonia residents often fall victim to predatory practices, such as "contract for deed" land sales. This form of agreement does not give the purchaser the title of the land until it is paid for in full, and failure to make one payment can result in loss of the property.

Migrant/Farmworkers

A migrant/farmworker is someone whose principal employment is in agriculture or an agriculture-related industry like food processing. Farmworkers brave extreme weather conditions and exposure to chemicals in their work, yet are among the poorest members of US society.

Migrant workers move from 'home base" communities such as California, Texas, and Florida to points north as the growing season progresses, in movement patterns know as migrant streams. Other farmworkers live year-round in communities with longer growing seasons.

Across the United States, migrant/famworkers face severely dilapidated housing, crowding issues, and high housing costs.

The border region saw a rapid 22% growth in the 1990s.
The colonia crowding rate is four times the national average.
85% of Colonias residents are U.S. citizens, 97% are Hispanic.
Areas with the greatest "confluence of serious farmworker housing problems" are Florida and the Northwest.
The 52% crowding rate for farmworkers is 10 times the national average and 88% are Hispanic, 45% have children.