Precarious Work and Housing for Michigan Farmworkers During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond

ABSTRACT

Objectives

Farmworkers in Michigan face precarious and exploitative labor conditions that affect their access to affordable, fair, and quality housing, which are key social determinants of health. We sought to assess the health, working conditions, and housing access, affordability, and quality of farmworkers living in and outside of employer-provided housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a mixed methods cross-sectional study in collaboration with community partners from the Michigan Farmworker Project and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. We assessed housing, labor conditions, and general health through in-depth phone interviews with seasonal, migrant, and H-2A farmworkers (n = 63) during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021) in Michigan. Descriptive analyses of these data included comparisons by type of farmworker and type of housing (employer-provided or other).

Results

The majority of farmworkers interviewed were women and seasonal farmworkers and spoke primarily Spanish. A significant share of farmworker participants reported living in poverty (38.3%) and had low or very low food security (27.0%). Nearly half of farmworkers (47.6%) rated their health as “fair” or “poor” during the year prior to the interview, and more than a third reported 3 or more chronic conditions (39.6%) and lack of health insurance coverage (38.7%). Among the 43 workers tested, 25.6% reported testing positive for COVID-19. Farmworkers reported experiences of objectification and dehumanization. Three-quarters of workers reported feeling that they were treated as less than human by supervisors and one-third reported verbal abuse. Farmworkers also experienced challenges exacerbated by their social vulnerability that impeded them from finding affordable, quality housing. Regarding housing quality, the majority of workers (80.6%) reported one or more environmental hazards around their residence, and about a third reported not having air conditioning (33.%) and lacking a functioning washing machine (33.9%). Concerns about the quality of drinking water accessible to workers and exposure to chemicals were shared by participants.

Conclusion

This study adds valuable knowledge to the understanding of the systemic barriers to housing and work conditions for female and male seasonal, migrant, and H-2A farmworkers in Michigan. Shortcomings in the regulatory and policy environment result in precarious housing and work conditions, including exploitative labor practices. These conditions negate equality, fairness, and health equity, important tenants for public health.

KEYWORDS:

• Farmworkers
• housing
• precarious work
• labor exploitation
• COVID-19

Acknowledgments

Most importantly, we honor and fully acknowledge all the participants of this study who willingly and openly shared their wisdom, stories, experiences, and struggles. We thank community partners: Ms Marcelina Trevino, Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Ms Kara Moberg, Farmworker Legal Services. Mr Dale Freeman and Ms Audra Fuentes, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and Ms Diana Marin, Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. We thank the following migrant outreach workers from the Migrant Resource Councils, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services: Ms Mara Luevano, Mr Oscar Sanchez, Ms Cynthia Cruz, and Mr Adrian Gutierrez for their support and professionalism with the recruitment of participants and for sharing their knowledge of and experiences with the farmworker community. We thank Mr Freeman and Ms Fuentes, Mr Julian Castillo, Mr Hector Ledezma, and Ms Irma Aranda-Cruz for supporting the participation of migrant outreach workers in this study. We thank Ms Ada Rodriguez, migrant outreach coordinator of Community Action Agency in Lenawee County for her support with recruitment activities and sharing her knowledge of the farmworker community.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no known conflicts of interest or competing interests to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) CARES Grant awarded to the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (Fair Housing and the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic in migrant, seasonal, and H-2A farmworkers in Michigan – PI: Trevino; Contract Handal/Iglesias-Rios). Lisbeth Iglesias-Rios was supported by a post-doctoral fellowship through the National Institutes of Health/National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIH/NIEHS). (T32 ES007062) and a supplemental grant (P30ES017885) through the NIH/NIEHS. This project was also supported in part by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number, T42 OH008455, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH, the CDC, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the Department of Housing and Urban Development.