In a major shift from its current program, the City of Salinas will now let temporary H-2A visa holders to stay in hotels and motels longer than before.
Right now, a 28-day limit is in place for worker housing, the change allows farm labor contractors to rent hotel and motel rooms for up to six months at a time, after which a six-month renewal is possible. That change could reduce the number of farm workers staying in overcrowded homes and congesting neighborhoods.
The program is intended for farm workers during the season, but the city says it could have some negative impact on housing tourists by making fewer rooms available to them.
