News Release
Fruit and vegetable farmers push back on reports of poor worker housing
Employer-provided housing for seasonal agricultural workers is heavily regulated and inspected by government and public health
For immediate release
Guelph ON, 14 June 2021 – Ontario’s fruit and vegetable growers are pushing back on recent allegations of poor housing standards and lax inspections around employer-provided housing for seasonal agricultural workers.
Workers who come to Ontario through the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) to work on fruit and vegetable farms have access to housing from their employers. This housing is built, occupied and operated according to official fire and building codes and local public health standards. All housing is supervised and inspected by federal and provincial government officials, local public health units, and liaison officers from the SAWP workers’ home countries. If there are any issues with housing, anonymous reports can be made to the federal government or liaison officers for appropriate investigation.