IN THE NEWS

By Mark Sayre PUBLISHED: March 30, 2026 The Brief Gov. Gavin Newsom has threatened legal action against Half Moon Bay for failing to produce a state-approved housing plan. The city has 30 days to comply with state mandates before facing potential legal action. City officials say that since their community is entirely within the coastal zone, it's harder to HALF MOON BAY, CALIF. - Gov. Gavin Newsom is targeting Half Moon Bay, the only city in Northern California that has faile

By Ryan Macasero PUBLISHED: March 29, 2026 | UPDATED: March 31, 2026 Interstate Grading and Paving, Inc. owner Craig Caron shows the parcels where housing traillers will be installed on the Stone Pine Cove Farmworkers Housing Project in Half Moon Bay, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Of the 15 cities Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened Wednesday with legal action over housing law violations, only one is in the Bay Area: Half Moon Bay. As the state

By John Ramos PUBLISHED: March 29, 2026 The deadline for cities to submit their plans for building more housing has come and gone, and last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom gave what he called a "final warning" to 15 cities that are not yet in compliance. One of them, the only one in the Bay Area, was Half Moon Bay. It's important to know that there has been some construction in Half Moon Bay. The neighborhood of modular homes known as Stone Pine Cove was recently completed to house l

By: J.K. Dineen Published: March 27, 2026 Farmworker Ramon Sonoqui, 70, sits for a portrait with his wife Maria Carrillo, 73, at 555 Kelly Ave. in Half Moon Bay, Calif., the site of a proposed and stalled housing development for senior farmworkers. Juliana Yamada/For the S.F. Chronicle Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga thought that construction of the senior farmworker complex in downtown Half Moon Bay would be well under way by now. After all, it has been two years since the City C

By Ryan Mense PUBLISHED: Mar 26, 2026 (KRON) — Governor Gavin Newsom put 15 California communities on blast Wednesday as Notices of Violation were issued over what the governor’s office said is a failure to plan for housing that meets the needs of all residents’ income levels. Half Moon Bay on the San Mateo County coastline is the only Bay Area city that received a final warning from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). State housing law requi

A recent news report highlights ALAS’s vital advocacy for safe, dignified, and affordable farmworker housing at the 555 Kelly project in Half Moon Bay. Watch the full segment to see how we are building community equity.

By Holly Rusch PUBLISHED: Mar 20, 2026 | UPDATED: May 6, 2026 Rendering of the proposed senior farmworkers housing at 555 Kelly Ave. in Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay is fleshing out its affordable housing and lease agreements for 555 Kelly, an affordable housing development slated for senior farmworkers that was originally proposed in 2022 and has stalled in the negotiations and development phase. The 555 Kelly Ave. project was originally proposed months before a deadly shooti

By Mark Sayre The Brief A Bay Area nonprofit, ALAS (Ayudando Latinos A Soñar), traveled to Minnesota to provide crisis support and resources to immigrant communities amid a surge in federal immigration enforcement. Group members said their experience responding to tragedies such as the 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting prepared them to help Minneapolis residents, where they visited a memorial for a U.S. citizen killed by ICE and witnessed strong community solidarity. ALAS plan

Half Moon Bay, CA — February 6, 2026 — A Bay Area–based delegation led by Ayudando Latinos A Soñar (ALAS), in partnership with Bay Area Border Relief, Latino Community Foundation, and faculty from the University of San Francisco, has returned from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they stood in solidarity with Twin Cities communities responding to the ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crisis. The delegation included social workers, psychologists, educators, art

One major development is finished, which brought 50 new units to the coast for farmworkers.

By Yana Katsuyama PUBLISHED: Jan 24, 2026 The Brief Half Moon Bay marked the third anniversary of the 2023 farmworker mass shooting with a downtown memorial and private gatherings honoring the seven victims, as survivors reflected on the lasting impact of the tragedy. The shooting has spurred increased focus on farmworker safety, mental health and working conditions, with nonprofits like ALAS providing ongoing support and healing services. The city and San Mateo County have c

By Gloria Rodríguez PUBLISHED: Jan 24, 2026 On the third anniversary of the mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, Pedro Romero Perez is remembering his brother, Jose, who was among the seven killed. HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (KGO) -- On January 23, 2023, seven people died when a gunman opened fire at multiple mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay. The tragedy raised awareness about the poor living conditions many on those farms had been living in. On the third anniversary of the mass shootin

By Michael Thomas PUBLISHED: Jan, 23 2026 (KRON) — In Half Moon Bay, a community still grappling with the trauma of a mass shooting three years ago gathered for a poignant remembrance ceremony on Friday, organized by the grassroots group ALAS. Despite the fear and insecurity brought on by recent immigration policies, survivors and residents came together to honor the seven farmworkers who lost their lives, focusing on themes of healing and dignity. San Mateo County Supervisor

By Robert Handa PUBLISHED: Jan 23, 2026 Friday marked three years since a farmworker opened fire at two farms in Half Moon Bay, killing seven people. Robert Handa reports. Friday marked three years since a farmworker opened fire at two farms in Half Moon Bay, killing seven people. Pedro Perez, a farmworker who was wounded but survived the shooting, said, through a translator, that he still grieves for his brother who was killed. “It’s a difficult day," Perez said. "It’s been

One of Only Five Organizations Selected Nationwide, ALAS to Pilot New Model with Stanford University School of Medicine Centered on "Cultura Cura" Half Moon Bay, CA – November 25, 2025 – Out of more than 300 applicants, Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS) was selected as one of only five organizations in the U.S. to receive a prestigious $200,000 national research grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to advance the Colibrí Child Wellness Program (CCWP). CCWP is a co

DA’s Office led prosecution against operator at HMB farm withholding wages By Holly Rusch, Daily Journal staff Dec 1, 2025 Workers at Earthvine Grower, an aquaponics farm in Half Moon Bay. Yelp.com Last year, Gabriel Reyes was working at Earthvine Grower, an aquaponics farm in Half Moon Bay. From August 2024 to January 2025, $10,242 in checks written to him for his labor bounced, and $1,268 owed to his wife, Ofelia, for work with the same company was never paid. Without paym

Xol Venegas wears handmade butterfly gloves at the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival in Fruitvale in 2023. Día de los Muertos remains her favorite holiday. (Estefany Gonzalez for KQED) Blanca Torres Nov 12, 2025 Updated 1:16 pm PT This story was reported for K Onda KQED, a monthly newsletter focused on the Bay Area’s Latinx community. Click here to subscribe. I had planned to spend Nov. 1, a Saturday, cleaning and organizing my house. Then my friend Susie Sanchez-Young, own

7 nov 2025 Terisa Estacio of KRON 4 News interviews Dr. Belinda Hernandez Arriaga, Founder and CEO of ALAS. This report was for Hispanic Heritage Month

By Jessica Flores,Staff Writer Oct 28, 2025 Jill Valavanis, visual arts director of the Sonoma Community Center, prepares to add a photo of Evelyn Berger to the facility’s outdoor Day of the Dead altar Wednesday. Yalonda M. James/S.F. Chronicle Lingering apprehension trailing behind last week’s threat of a major immigration enforcement crackdown in the Bay Area will have a marked effect on Día de los Muertos celebrations this year. Across the region, some event organizers can

Many details still debated By Ashton J. Hacke Oct 17, 2025 Updated Oct 26, 2025 1 Half Moon Bay and Mercy Housing continue to discuss details before reaching an agreement on lease of 555 Kelly Ave. Courtesy of Half Moon Bay After 15 months of negotiations over the terms of a lease agreement with Mercy Housing for city-owned land at 555 Kelly Ave., the Half Moon Bay City Council heard public input on Thursday evening, Oct. 16, and then directed staff to begin drafting portions

by: Stephanie Rothman Posted: Oct 16, 2025 / 10:18 PM PDT Updated: Oct 17, 2025 / 01:25 PM PDT (KRON) — A special city council meeting was held in Half Moon Bay Thursday to discuss a proposal for housing elderly farmworkers. Mercy Housing, a nonprofit organization, plans to build 40 apartment units for retired farm workers, ranging from studios to two-bedroom apartments, along with several community spaces. “Since our last meeting, we’ve secured over $13 million from the hous