** This is a non-4200/4300/2600 Program Code, you must select a File Section (4)

Home Browse Search

PgU1p SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT ' 1868 East Hazelton Avenue, Stockton, CA 95205-6232 Telephone (209) 468-3420 Fax (209) 464-0138 December 13, 2016 MEMORANDUM TO Employee Housing Dairy Exemption Facility Owners FROM: Greg Oliveira, Lead Senior REHS, Housing Programs Environmental Health Department SUBJECT: Annual Review/Self-Assessment for Dairy Permit Exempt Facilities The San Joaquin County Environmental Health Department (EHD) is the local agency designated by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to implement the Employee Housing Program pursuant to the California Health and Safety Code, Employee Housing Act. The local program is responsible for ensuring that all employee housing accommodations meet the minimum State requirements established for use, maintenance, occupancy, and safety. Beginning in 2000, the EHD granted exemptions from the Employee Housing Permit to Operate requirements to employee housing facilities (housing for five or more employees or agricultural workers) located at dairy farms. EHD records show that your facility was one of these exempted facilities. As a result of a recent review of our local Employee Housing Program, HCD provided clarification that an annual review of all Dairy Exempt Employee Housing Facilities needed to be conducted by the EHD. The annual review is the mechanism used to determine if a facility continues to qualify for exemption status by meeting the minimum State requirements for use, maintenance, occupancy, and safety for the housing accommodations. In order to perform this annual review with minimal impact to local dairies, we have opted to use a self-assessment program in lieu of an on-site inspection by EHD staff. This self-assessment program will allow owners and operators to perform the inspection themselves, to identify problems and make corrections, and to report this information to the EHD. The EHD will evaluate this information to comply with the required State annual review. Failure to return the required self-assessment documents to the EHD could result in loss of dairy exempt status. Please complete the enclosed Self-Audit Housing Checklist, one for each separate housing unit, to document the condition of each housing unit during the inspection, and mail back to the Environmental Health Department by March 1, 2017. For more information on the minimum State requirements for employee housing, the Employee Housing Facility Inspection Information Booklet is available upon request. EHD staff are available to provide any assistance you may need to participate in this program. For further information, please contact Greg Oliveira, Lead Senior REHS, at (209) 468-3854 or goliveira(a-)_sicehd.com.