Farmer Worker Hotel Pt 1

Farmer Worker Hotel Pt 1

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
With today's Fruit Grower Report, I'm Bob Larson. Puttin' on the Ritz? Not exactly, but WAFLA has entered into an agreement with a Yakima investment group to turn a local hotel into housing for farm workers.

WAFLA Director Dan Fazio says it's all in an effort to ease the burden of housing for farm employers and farm workers in the Yakima area ...

FAZIO ... "So, there's a large hotel, 200 rooms, on North First Street. It's currently FairBridge Inn & Suites, and it's been purchased by an investor group called First Street Investments and this investment group intends to make it farm worker housing and has gotten licensed for 800 workers."

Fazio says WAFLA's been very involved with the investors, made up of area farmers, to advise and help them manage the facility which opens in just a few weeks ...

FAZIO ... "So, starting June 1st, people can rent beds for farm workers who work for them and we want to make it a comprehensive type of center for farm workers, kind of a one-stop shop. So, the guys are going to be fed there, we'll have a sundries store, we'll have a couple of pools on sight and some recreational types of things for the guys, some financial services, etcetera so that the farmers don't have to be landlords anymore."

Fazio says the hotel will also serve breakfast and dinner ... and make sack lunches for the workers. The rental rates are $12 for WAFLA members and $14 for non-members. Contact WAFLA's David Guzman for more information or to secure beds for your workers.

You can reach him at dguzman@wafla.org or (509) 440-2826

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