Governor Newsom visits Fresno, signs bills related to affordable housing for farmworkers

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Governor Gavin Newsom was in Fresno Tuesday afternoon, signing three bills into law.

One of them, AB 2240, was sponsored by Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula and will lead towards keeping the state's 24 migrant farmworker housing complexes open year-round.

"As the demographics of our farmworkers has changed, which was traditionally single men to now being more family centric it was important we gave options to our farmworkers so that they could have that stability," said Arambula.

AB 2240 eliminates a requirement that farmworker families needed to move out of farm labor centers for a minimum of three months or risk losing that housing.

This impacts 7,000 farmworker families across the state.

The bill will also build permanent and stable affordable farmworker housing by using state-owned excess land near.

"We're never going to turn our back on rural Californians and particularly in Fresno we have an incredible partnership across a myriad of issues including on economic and workforce development," said Governor Newsom.

Newsom praising Fresno's approach to affordable housing in general in regard to the state's home key model.

The governor also using the moment to highlight California's inclusiveness of immigrants and criticize former President Donald Trump.

"This anti-immigrant rhetoric that is vile and so predictable this time of year particularly with the former president that is in the art of division," said Newsom.

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