AB 1890 Is Law: Doubling State Support for Napa's Farmworker Housing Centers

Image from napacounty.gov

Governor Newsom signed AB 1890 (Aguiar-Curry) into law on September 30, 2026. The bill doubles the State's annual matching funds for the Napa County Farmworker Centers Account, from $250,000 to $500,000 per year.
This is great news for the people who tend Napa Valley's vineyards, and for the whole community that has worked for more than two decades to make sure they have a safe, affordable place to live during the season.

Why This Matters

Housing in Napa County is scarce and expensive. When workers can't find housing, they often have to commute long distances, live in overcrowded conditions, or leave the region altogether.
Napa's three farmworker housing centers help with that. They offer stable, low-cost seasonal housing, and they also provide:

• Daily meals
• Healthcare access
• Vocational and safety training
• English language programs
• Other support services that help farmworkers thrive

AB 1890 builds on AB 317 (Aguiar-Curry, 2017), which created the Farmworker Centers Account and authorized state matching funds. With operating costs rising, the added funding helps keep these centers open and running well for years to come.

A Grower-Led Legacy

​Supporting farmworkers has been part of NVG's work from the beginning. Our founders, including Andy Beckstoffer and Ren Harris, pushed for fair treatment of growers and for better conditions for the people who work the land. Ren Harris also founded the California Winegrower Foundation, now Ag Health Benefits Alliance, which today provides healthcare for more than 1,500 agricultural employees.

In 2002, Napa County's commercial winegrape growers created County Service Area (CSA) 4 and voted to assess themselves per acre to fund the farmworker housing centers. CSA 4 has generated more than $10 million for the centers since then. In the most recent vote, in 2022, growers representing 87% of planted acres voted to continue the assessment.

NVG's Advocacy for AB 1890

This spring, NVG Executive Director Caleb Mosley sent a letter to the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development urging an "AYE" vote on AB 1890. In it, he wrote:
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​"Our valley would not serve as a global leader in wine grape cultivation without a highly skilled and dedicated workforce. It is our duty to provide safe, clean and comfortable housing for farmworkers that expertly tend our vines and strengthen our community."

NVG joined a wide coalition of supporters. Agricultural groups, nonprofit service providers, healthcare organizations, philanthropic funders, and Napa County all spoke up for the bill together. According to the County, several legislators pointed to Napa's public-private model as one worth replicating in agricultural communities across California.

​A Community Effort

No single group sustains these centers. Growers fund them and provide the jobs. Nonprofits deliver services on the ground. Philanthropic partners give grants and donations. The County runs and coordinates the centers. Now the State has doubled its share.
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That partnership was also recognized nationally this year, when the National Association of Counties gave Napa County's farmworker housing partnership a 2026 NACo Achievement Award for Community & Economic Development.

"I shared this news with our Vineyard Policy Committee, and it was the best part of my day," said Caleb Mosley. "I'm glad to see the industry, the community, and the County all rally around this to get it passed."
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Thank you to Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry for authoring AB 1890, to Napa County for its leadership, and to every partner and grower who helped make this happen.