DARLINGTON — A $7 million 32-unit housing complex for farm workers is expected to break ground in Darlington in 2021. City officials heard an update on the project at a meeting May 19.
The vision for Darlington Farm Labor Housing, also known as The Meadows, began in 2014 when the Southwest Community Action Program (SWCAP) identified a need for affordable rental housing for permanent dairy farm workers in Lafayette County, many of whom are immigrants.
Joe Weier, special service coordinator with SWCAP, described the background of the development that is planned to be located at the end of Spring Street near the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
In 2018, SWCAP and partner Cinnaire Solutions were awarded a $3 million combination loan/grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to build a 24-unit housing complex, including a community center, for farm labor employees.
But the first application to secure low-income housing tax credits was denied in 2018, Weier said.
“When we reapplied in 2019, we lowered the units to 16 to make it workable. USDA asked for the numbers to be a little higher. So we redesigned the complex as two identical 16-units, bringing the total number of units up to 32. We received the tax credits in April,” Weier said.
Along with other funding, “we will have enough to go ahead with the $7 million project,” he said.
Greg Jewell from Jewell Associate Engineers, Inc., of Spring Green, showed council members plans, maps, site designs and the final layout of the two 16-unit buildings. Jewell said water will be brought from the top of the hill to the site and the sanitary sewer will flow downhill to the wastewater treatment plant.
The project also includes a 6,000-square-foot community center that will be set up similar to a strip mall, with three entrances. This multi-purpose building could house services such as a food pantry, health clinic and an early childhood education program.
“The site has been fully surveyed. We’ve had soil borings done to determine how much rock is there,” Jewell said. “We’re looking at bid letting later this year, and construction will begin in the spring of 2021.”
The apartments will go to farm laborers first.
“If we can’t fill the 32 units with farm laborers, we can make it available for all low income-eligible participants,” Weier said. “Because of the farm labor housing shortage around here, USDA’s goal is to get as many farm laborers in that (building) as possible.”
A cheese factory laborer does not qualify as a farm laborer. Housing applicants need to be at least 18 years old, provide financial documentation and be of legal status to live in the United States. The housing unit will be co-owned by SWCAP and Cinnaire Solutions.
City council members approved a request from SWCAP and Cinnaire for the city to apply for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) funding to assist with the project. The application is due June 25.
The CDBG funding will be a 2-to-1 match; Cinnaire and SWCAP will be making the match. The city would need to provide some requirements, including a public hearing. The public hearing is tentatively scheduled for July 16.
— Brian Lund and Kat Cisar