It's a New Day in Public Health.
The Florida Department of Health works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.
Migrant Farmworker Housing
Contact us
- 850-833-9247 / 850-689-7859
-
Mailing Address
221 Hospital Dr. NE, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
810 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview, FL 32539
The Florida Department of Health permits and inspects all migrant farmworker housing to reduce the risk of communicable disease transmission and injury among migrant farmworkers under the Migrant Farmworker Housing Program. Environmental Health inspectors working in this program are protecting the health and safety of people living in migrant farmworker housing. The program also helps to reduce the number of migrant farmworkers exposed to unhealthy conditions where they live and work.
Authority for this program is provided in s.381.008 through 381.00897 Florida Statutes and Chapter 64E-14, (doc 110 kb) Florida Administrative Code. The rules provide sanitation and health standards relating to construction, operation and maintenance of migrant labor camps and residential migrant housing. Additional requirements can be found in the Occupational Safety & Health Administration Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.142 Temporary Labor Camp Standards (Migrant Labor Camps and H2-A Housing Only).
The Basic Guidelines document is available to provide the basic knowledge of the rules and regulations applying to Migrant Labor Camps and Residential Migrant Housing.
- Migrant Labor Camps
- H-2A
Migrant Labor Camps and residential migrant housing are inspected at least twice quarterly during periods of occupancy by inspectors from Environmental Health. Complaint inspections will be conducted in response to citizen complaints. Inspection reports can be found online.
Any person who is planning to construct, remodel or convert a property for use or occupancy as a migrant labor camp or residential migrant housing in Okaloosa County must apply for a permit at least 30 days prior to date of operation. Permits will not be issued until migrant labor camp or residential housing has received a satisfactory inspection. The required application packet includes the following:
- Application Form (pdf 20.34kb)
- Instructions for application (pdf 7kb) Must include a Floor Plan (drawn to scale) of all housing buildings with application
- Signature Card (pdf 22.9kb)
Additional Information:
Migrant Workers: What You Need to Know (pdf 822.16kb)
Memorandum of Agreement between the FDOH and Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO)
H-2A Housing - Migrant Labor Camps provided as an incident of employment
by employers utilizing the H-2A Program for non-hand labor operations (defined below).
Requests for H-2A housing locations are made through the Department of Economic Opportunity, to the FDOH. DEO shall notify the designated contact as determined by DOH when a H-2A
Housing Inspection report is needed. The notification will include, but is not limited to, employer name, housing locations, number of workers requested, the date(s) of need. This information is then sent to the County Representative who will then contact the applicant to set a date for inspection.
Non-Hand Labor Operations - This means agricultural activities or agricultural operations
that are not performed by hand or with hand tools. Non-hand labor operations include
activities such as logging operations, the care or feeding or livestock (e.g. alligators, bees, cows
or horses), hand-labor operations in permanent structures (e.g. canning facilities or packing
houses), or the operation of a machine or equipment.
This Agreement shall govern the interaction between the Parties as they administer housing inspections for Migrant Labor Camps. By this Agreement, the Parties agree to follow the
procedures outlined in this Agreement, DOH accepts the role for permitting and compliance
activities, to include enforcement, for Hand Labor Operations, and welcomes DEO to serve
as a support role by providing technical assistance as appropriate. DOH accepts the support
role for compliance activities, not to include enforcement, for non-Hand Labor Operations.
Fact Sheet – H-2A Certification for Temporary Agricultural Workers (PDF 292 KB)
Connect with DOH