Seasonal Rental Housing for Migrants at Aurora, Montello and Claremont Centers

Overview

This project was originally funded as a migrant homeless project under HUD Emergency Shelter Grants with additional funds from Community Service Block Grant (CSBG) and Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). The Aurora Center and Montello Center (Wisconsin) properties were ultimately purchased by UMOS and refurbished under USDA 514/516 Farm Labor Housing loans and grants. The Claremont Center (Minnesota) was purchased to provide housing to migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) in response to a local committee consisting of former farmworkers and Latinos in the south east area of Minnesota.

• Dollar Amount – Programs funded out of project income which is a variable.
• Services Provided – The Aurora and Montello Centers in Wisconsin and the Claremont Center in Minnesota are rental housing facilities for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. UMOS also utilizes these facilities to provide free emergency housing to homeless migrants during the season in combination with other UMOS supportive services. These facilities are also used as a platform for other UMOS Services. In Wisconsin, Migrant Day Care and Migrant Head Start programs are provided at facilities constructed onsite.
• Funding Sources – On-site supportive services are provided by various UMOS programs. The housing projects are supported by rental income from the tenants, as well as Rental Assistance, which is provided to the individual tenants according to income. The project is also subsidized by the UMOS Comprehensive Crisis Relief (CCR) program, funded under CSBG.
• Populations Served – Migrant farmworkers and their families.
• Goals and Objectives –  Provide access to safe, decent, affordable rental housing for migrants and their families, as well as emergency housing for homeless migrant families.
• Program Outcomes/Performance Benchmarks – Housing center programs are operated as a business to minimize cost and maximize occupancy. This approach helps to ensure the desired effect of increasing housing availability for migrant workers in Wisconsin.