A newly funded housing complex in Morgan Hill will include units specially dedicated to farmworkers, the city announced.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors originally signed off on a $13.2 million proposal for the site on June 28.

The Magnolias will be a 1.26-acre, multi-family rental community at 17965 Monterey Road. The 66-unit complex will consist of 16 studios, 16 one-bedroom apartments, 17 two-bedroom apartments and 17 three-bedroom apartments.

Morgan Hill has a 1 percent apartment vacancy rate, according to city officials, and rents are not affordable for everyone. The Magnolias will provide housing options to households earning 30 to 60 percent of the area’s median income, which for a family of four in Morgan Hill is $168,500.

A view from the south of The Magnolias apartment complex. (Image courtesy of city of Morgan Hill)

In addition to farmworkers, The Magnolias will provide housing for previously unhoused people and families.

Amenities include open lounge and seating areas, a laundry facility, indoor and outdoor play spaces, secure bicycle storage, a pet wash station, a community garden, electric vehicle charging stations and transit passes for each household.

“The creation of farmworker housing is long overdue,” said Rebecca Garcia, city housing director. “Farmworkers struggle disproportionally with housing insecurity, leading them to sleep in their vehicles, illegally converted garages, and living doubled-up in substandard conditions. Farmworkers are an essential part of the workforce in sustaining food supply and agricultural success in South County.”

Funding for the project comes from Measure A, an affordable housing bond that was passed by voters in 2016.

The agriculture industry in Santa Clara County employs over 8,000 residents and contributes $830 million annually to the economy, according to the city.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.