Plans for a field worker shelter

CALEXICO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - What was once an orthopedic clinic, the city plans to turn into a “farm worker service center."

The shelter will be located on First Street and Heber Avenue.

“We want to have ideally a building that has somewhere close to 300 beds… where people can actually take a rest after crossing the border line or after hard day at work… or people who are straight up homeless farm workers,” said Mayor Raul Ureña.

The city is working on sending petitions to the state, along with state assemblymembers and senators to see if they can get funds. Those funds would be used to renovate the shelter. 

“This is a project that is unique to the California… this is the only border in California that has this high propensity of farm workers," said Ureña.

It's all to prevent field workers from sleeping on the streets while waiting to go to work a situation that some field workers are too familiar with.

"Sometimes I stay to sleep over there to be exact… anywhere to be early for work… because if we come late we wouldn’t find work…. it will help us a lot because sometimes we don’t know where to stay and that shelter will help us a lot," said Candido Lugo Torres, a field worker.

If everything goes well with funding the project will be finished in two years.