Abstract
Rural homelessness remains under-researched despite its prevalence outside the city. This research note presents preliminary findings from a case study in the Salinas Valley, California, examining how rurality—particularly its statistical definitions and socio-cultural conceptions—shapes homelessness policy formation, resource allocation, and local politics. Semi-structured interviews conducted in spring 2023, alongside document analysis, explore rural homelessness in this unique context. Findings suggest that rural homelessness is highly salient to local politicians and policy-makers, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, with service clustering in Salinas and other regional towns with more progressive policies. Challenges include housing diverse unhoused subpopulations, especially migrant farmworkers, and confronting the socio-cultural constructions of coastal California by affluent residents. These constructions help enact the “lettuce curtain” and hinder affordable housing development. These findings offer insights into other rural contexts, contribute to debates on definitional politics in agricultural regions, and highlight the challenges and successes of delivering homelessness services in rural areas with limited resources and political opposition.
Recommended Citation
Evans, Allison. 2026. "Behind The ‘Lettuce Curtains:’ Rural Homelessness in the Salinas Valley, California." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 41(1): Article 6. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.34068/jrss.41.01.06
