As 2022 begins and Omicron infections skyrocket throughout the United States, many Latino families are left wondering how the pandemic will continue to negatively impact them and what resources are available during these stressful times.
Prior to the pandemic, California’s homelessness was dire. As of January 2020, California had an estimated 161,548 people experiencing homelessness, according to the United States Interagency Council of Homelessness. The pandemic has worsened the issue. However, a partnership between UnidosUS and the California Housing Finance Agency was created along with a financial program, at the beginning of 2021, in hopes of reducing homelessness in California.
Established in 1968 as the National Council of La Raza, UnidosUS as it is currently known, is the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. The civil rights group has partnered up with the California Housing Finance Agency, to offer financial assistance to families that are in distress over rent.
“Right now in the Bay Area alone, there’s about 92,000 households that are in danger of being evicted.”
“Right now in the Bay Area alone, there’s about 92,000 households that are in danger of being evicted,” said Lead Housing Counselor for UnidosUS, Victor Castillo. “Based on this program, we can help reduce that number or try to avoid as many people as we can to lose their homes. Whether that is via rent or mortgage. There’s an outstanding program right now to help rental clients in which they can receive up to $20,000 in benefits for rent and for utilities as a combination. And there’s also in the works, very soon, a program that is going to be available to mortgage customers where they can also receive assistance with their past due balance and also utilities.”
According to Census Bureau surveys, nearly one in three Latino and Black renters reported that they were behind on last month’s rent payment as of the week ending July 21, 2020.
“Since the beginning, in many different areas of our culture and our lives such as immigration, against civil rights, finances, UnidosUS has always been present,” said Castillo. “We have different departments but in this case, my area of focus is on building wealth for Latinos and so we help out customers in different areas of their finances and in the many stages of their financial lives. It could be in financial distress or building financial wealth.”
Michelle Huang, who is a data provider for Bay Area Equity Atlas, partnered with Housing NOW! and authored a fact sheet that was published in March 2021, that highlights the dire conditions that Californians and people of color are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Huang’s fact sheet: “77 percent of renters who are behind [on paying rent] are people of color, and 77 percent earn less than $50,000. The vast majority of renters who are behind have experienced job and income losses during the pandemic and 80 percent have lost employment income and Californian renters face an estimated $2.4 billion in rent debt, approximately $2,900 per household.”
According to Rolando Cuevas, a graduate fellow for the UnidosUS Immigration Policy Project: “Almost 60 percent of Latinos have reported losing employment income since the beginning of the pandemic compared to 44 percent of all Americans. A month into the national emergency in April 2020, 58 percent of Latinos had already reported losing wages or work.”
UnidosUS also offers assistance to people who are unemployed or underemployed, to look for employment.
In order to apply for financial assistance, a list of documents and requirements must be met, said Castillo. Applicants will need to show a copy of their identification card, a copy of the lease or a utility bill if the applicant doesn’t have a copy of the lease, and a letter from the landlord addressing the amount of money that is owed. Anyone may apply regardless of legal status in the United States.
For more information call: 1-844-394-1488 or visit: unidosus.org