Slim Pickings : Ventura Center for Farm Worker Housing Aid Will Close Over Low Turnout

A center to apply for federal housing aid at the Ventura County Fairgrounds was scheduled to close today because of the low turnout of farm workers hurt by the crop freeze last winter, officials said Monday.

Ventura County agricultural experts say there is a huge need for the money in the county but that the center at the fairgrounds--set up Friday by state and federal officials--may be too far from the farm workers, who often lack transportation, and that the word of available help was not spread soon enough.

State and federal officials said they may move the center to the Oxnard area, where it would be more accessible to farm workers, after it closes today at 5 p.m.

“We’re not getting any business to speak of--nothing you could even count,” said Barbara Joyce of the state Office of Emergency Services. “We know there are people who need help.”

Some experts have estimated that 3,000 to 5,000 of the 13,000 farm workers in Ventura County were left unemployed by the freeze that sent temperatures plummeting in December and ruined millions of dollars worth of crops.

But by midday Monday, only five farm workers had asked for help at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, officials said.

A disaster declaration issued by President Bush in February set aside federal funding giving unemployment aid to farm workers and providing emergency loans for farm owners. And last week, Bush approved a plan to include housing assistance for affected farm workers in 33 counties, including Ventura.

Federal officials said there was little time to get notice to farm workers but said they wanted to begin offering aid quickly after it became available.

Applicants must produce documents such as notices of eviction or foreclosure, layoff notices and proof that they own or rent a residence. Immigrants seeking amnesty in the United States are eligible for the aid.

Checks for back rents or mortgages should be available about two weeks after applications are made, officials said.

Hundreds of farm workers turned out at other disaster centers set up by state and federal officials elsewhere, officials said. In Fresno County, officials took reservations to make applications.

But on Monday, 36 orange chairs set up for applicants sat vacant in a warehouse at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Doughnuts provided by the American Red Cross remained uneaten by lunchtime. And eight workers ready to take applications chatted with each other, caught up on paperwork and wondered what had gone wrong.

They said they notified county organizations that deal with farm workers of the available aid and had flyers describing the application process distributed.

But Ventura County agricultural experts said they were not at all surprised by the low turnout.

“If we would have had several weeks of advance notice, maybe we could have done a better job of getting the word out,” said Rex Laird, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau. “I’m surprised five people found out about it and showed up.”

Laird said the county groups that deal with farm workers received only about 24 hours notice to tell people about the disaster application center. In addition, he said, officials face a language barrier and the distrust of workers who may fear deportation.

Michael Martinez of the Center for Employment Training in Oxnard--which has provided emergency food and aid to farm workers since January--echoed Laird’s thoughts and added that people from Fillmore, Piru and Santa Paula might have difficulty getting to the county fairgrounds in Ventura.

Red Cross volunteer Marilyn Whisnant said that when she handed out flyers in Fillmore, she found many people who wanted to apply.

“They don’t have the transportation,” she said. “They were ready to jump in my car.”