Under a clear blue Tampa sky, federal and local government officials and other housing stakeholders were among the 300 or so well-wishers who gathered recently to dedicate the first phase of the San Jose Mission, a unique form of affordable housing for area farmworkers and their families.

Under construction for more than a year, phase one contains 80 units and a courtyard, in which children can safely play. Phase two will contain an additional 42 rental units and a community center, and will be funded by $400,000 in HUD funds. And phase three, sponsored by Hillsborough County using HUD and local funds, will contain single family homes where homeowners will paint, landscape and clean-up as a means of reducing their downpayments.

San Jose Mission, which may become a prototype for affordable housing for Florida's farmworkers, will also contain on-site health, education and social services. To date, more than 100 local farmworkers have become certified nursing assistants, law enforcement officers, educators and social service workers.

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Farmworkers' children were in abundance at the dedication, as they will be in the courtyards.	Phase one of the San Jose Mission took more than a year to complete.
Aztec dancers and a mariachi band entertained the more than 300 people at the dedication, including Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman; Florida Governor Jeb Bush; Congressman Adam Putnam; and Maria Ortiz, HUD Southwest Border Coordinator. Other participants include representatives from the Migrant/Farmworker Initiatives, local government, private industry and Catholic Charities.