HALF MOON BAY'S BALLOT FIGHT OVER SENIOR FARMWORKER HOUSING
Candido Rosales spent more than 30 years working at flower farms. In retirement, he is still searching for something he can afford: a home where he, his wife and their daughter can live together. Rosales rents a room. His wife and daughter, who recently arrived from Mexico, stay in a separate home with family.“There’s nowhere to live or for all three of us to live together. It’s very difficult,” he said in Spanish. His struggle is part of the debate over Measure Q, which asks Half Moon Bay voters whether to uphold agreements allowing an affordable housing project for senior agricultural workers on city-owned land near downtown.
Supporters say the homes would give aging farmworkers a chance to retire with dignity. Opponents question whether the five-story development is the right size for its location. Known as 555 Kelly, the proposal includes 39 income-restricted apartments and one manager’s unit at 535–555 Kelly Ave. The city lists the estimated cost at $41.6 million. Half Moon Bay’s City Council adopted the ordinance approving the agreements with Mercy Housing on May 5. But opponents gathered enough signatures to force a referendum.
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