COVID-19’s heavy toll pushed Ottawa to propose these changes to how migrant farm workers are housed

De-bunking beds. Restricting the sharing of toilet and shower facilities. Allowing access to phone service and free internet.

These are among the proposed requirements the federal government has levelled at farm operators as it tries to set a national housing standard for temporary foreign workers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The intent of new requirements would be to complement existing provincial-territorial housing standards and establish consistent, mandatory requirements for all employers who must provide accommodations to (temporary foreign workers),” said Employment and Social Development Canada in an information package provided for a consultation on the new rules, which was launched in late October.

“The approach would also include measures to strengthen the oversight for pre- and post-arrival inspections of worker accommodations to enable the enforcement of compliance with new requirements,” added the seven-page document.

Over the years, the federal government has held numerous reviews of its foreign worker program and advocates have repeatedly recommended the need for a national housing standard. But this one is different, giving some hope that officials are serious about these changes.

“There have been submissions around housing by people that have been involved in these consultations, but never was there a specific, focused consultation about housing and accommodation,” said Wilfrid Laurier University professor Jenna Hennebry, who has extensively researched migrant workers and labour migration.

“All their reviews and consultations led to very minuscule levels of change around housing. It’s always been a passing-the-buck, pushing-it-off-to-other-levels-of-governments scenario. What’s interesting is they are wading in into something that’s inherently inter-jurisdictional.”

Since the onset of the pandemic in this country back in March, at least 1,600 migrant farm workers have been infected with COVID-19 across Canada. There have been three reported deaths.

The consultation brief said the increased attention on employer-provided accommodations through COVID-19 has highlighted common deficiencies in the quality of housing and living conditions for workers, that may put both migrant workers and the community at risk of disease transmission.

Common complaints about housing, it says, include overcrowding and lack of privacy; an inadequate number of washrooms and kitchen facilities per worker; lack of adequate heating and cooling; as well as deficiencies in the structure, such as leaks, mould and poor plumbing.

The government’s proposed changes cover:

• Building infrastructure to ensure workers have freedom of movement and can receive guests without restriction;

• Common living spaces to ensure accommodations have proper heating and cooling equipment;

• A sleeping quarter limit to address concerns about overcrowding and to make accommodations more adaptable to infectious illness outbreaks;

• Washroom, eating and laundry facilities to be shared by workers through established ratios; and

• Facilities such as phone service and free internet to allow workers connect with families and support organizations so they can access services without employers’ assistance.

However, migrant workers’ advocates said deplorable housing is only a symptom of the larger, structural problem with the migrant worker program.

“The federal government continues to live in its own echo chamber of undertaking cosmetic consultations rather than take the necessary steps to address why migrant farm workers live and work under inhumane conditions in Canada,” said Chris Ramsaroop of Justicia for Migrant Workers.

“Housing concerns are widely known and they will continue until steps are taken to address the power imbalance, where employers exert control over the lives of the workers who put food on our table.”

Although the consultation also seeks input from workers, Syed Hussan of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change doubts if the government intends to hear their voices. Many migrant farm workers have left Canada after the season and won’t be back to March, after the consultation wraps up on Dec. 22.

“What we’re asking the government to do is workers’ priorities, which include housing and immigrant status for all, be the primary changes. Workers must determine the outcomes of the consultation,” said Hussan.

Keith Currie, a vice-president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said the sector has made adjustments during the pandemic to ensure worker safety. Banking services are brought to the farms, new housing quarters built and arrangements made to deliver groceries to workers — all to lessen exposure to COVID-19.

“There are obviously things we can do quickly, but it’s important to have national standards. Different jurisdictions impose different rules. We don’t have consistency. We need to work collaboratively to ensure the safety of our workers,” said Currie, whose organization represents 200,000 farms.

“Consistency is a good thing. We want that consistency right across the board so everybody knows what to expect.”

Nicholas Keung is a Toronto-based reporter covering immigration for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: