New Ag housing rules will force out farmworkers

OR-OSHA’s New Farmworker Housing Rules Will Force Out Farmworkers, Shutter Family Farms
New Rules Exceed Federal Housing Standards
By Oregon Farm Bureau,

Salem, Ore – OR-OSHA adopted updates to its Division 4 – Ag Labor Housing (ALH) rules. While this marks an end to regulatory uncertainty after a tedious and emotionally draining, six-year process – it signals the beginning of a new chapter of unsustainable state policies for farmworkers and farm families alike.

“Small and mid-sized farms are being pushed to the brink—faced with an impossible choice: spend $400,000 to $1.5 million per operation on new housing to meet these requirements, or risk losing their workforce,” said Angela Bailey, President of the Oregon Farm Bureau. “After years of devastating crop losses and brutal market conditions, taking on massive loans isn’t just unrealistic—it’s operationally fatal. Meanwhile, off-farm workforce housing is virtually non-existent in many rural areas. So, where exactly does OR-OSHA expect workers to live during the critical harvest season? This is a disaster in the making for family agriculture in Oregon.”

Oregon Farm Bureau’s Executive Director Greg Addington said that his group and other agriculture organizations participated in good faith for years during this rulemaking. “We are not just disappointed—we’re outraged by OR-OSHA’s shortsighted and heavy-handed approach to these rules. This isn’t just bad policy; it’s outright hypocrisy. While the Governor claims affordable housing is a priority, OR-OSHA’s reckless decisions will, without question, eliminate access to safe, low or no-cost, housing for farm workers near their workplaces. The rules will also create workforce shortages during peak harvest periods. The outcome of this process confirms a blatant disregard for stakeholder concerns,” he said.

OR-OSHA eventually decided against prohibiting farmworker housing within 500 feet of livestock facilities, so long as certain conditions are met, which prevents upheaval of local dairy farms and ranches. That may be the only positive outcome of this rulemaking, which all but ensures the end of many family-based farms that grow famous Oregon crops such as pears, apples, peaches, and cherries.

Oregon agriculture is facing a severe crisis. USDA data shows net farm income is projected to drop another 4.4% in 2024, following a massive 19.5% decline in 2023 compared to 2022. Over just two years, U.S. farms have lost $40 billion in revenue—the largest two-year drop ever recorded. On average, farmers are losing between $97 and $373 per acre across all crops. For example, Oregon’s 720,000 acres of wheat are seeing losses of about $125 per acre, amounting to $90 million in 2024 alone—and that doesn’t even include the steeper losses from 2023. Multiply this impact across Oregon’s 200+ commodities, and it is clear: local farms simply don’t have the resources to rebuild worker housing that OR-OSHA has previously deemed safe – but now doesn’t – and already meets federal housing standards.