There are people who are worried about being able to feed their families. About when they will get their next paycheck. About being evicted from their homes. About getting sick and losing their lives.
The coronavirus has had a devastating health and economic impact across Pennsylvania. And, according to a new survey, those hardships have been particularly disastrous for Latino communities in the Keystone State.
Against the backdrop of a recent surge in coronavirus cases, the advocacy organization Make the Road Pennsylvania revealed the results of an impact survey during a press conference Tuesday that brings to light the health and economic crises facing Latino communities.
Leaders of the organization said the survey shows widespread financial instability among the most vulnerable residents in the state and underscores the need for policy solutions that are responsive to this urgent moment.
“The experiences and voices featured in this report have painted a picture of widespread precarity and suffering that is likely happening across the state of Pennsylvania,” the authors of the report stated.
The poll, conducted by Make the Road Pennsylvania and the Center for Popular Democracy, surveyed more than 100 adults in six large cities that included Reading between August and September.
The survey was designed to surface key issues facing the community related to employment, housing, health and economic security. The findings, the organization said, reveal enormous suffering in local communities with undocumented community members facing significant disparities.
Here are some takeaways from the survey:
Struggling with job losses: 60% of all survey respondents are out of work and the majority reported losing work as a direct result of the pandemic.
No access to quality health care: 71% are uninsured with no access to health care. 41% of those surveyed had either been sick or had a family member who was sick during the pandemic, and only half said they received the care they needed.
Hard to make housing payments: 40% of renters were unable to pay their most recent rent payment. And 79% of all renters are worried about being able to pay rent next month.
Not able to afford the essentials: 76% of those surveyed and 88% of undocumented respondents are worried they will be unable to pay for utilities and other bills. Nearly half of survey respondents are concerned about having enough food.
Dealing with underemployment: Among those still working, half have been asked to work fewer hours since the start of the pandemic and one in four have seen employers cut their pay.
Not getting the help they need: 15% of survey respondents who have lost their jobs have received unemployment insurance from the government in the past month. 41% qualified for the one-time federal government cash assistance. Undocumented respondents are completely excluded from both forms of relief.
The authors of the report said these findings come at a critical time for democracy.
With just two weeks left until Election Day, the report found that the financial precarity and housing instability of these communities could undermine full democratic participation.
Make the Road member Yubelkis Tavarez said at the press conference that Latinos may not go out to vote in this very important presidential election because the community has been severely impacted by this pandemic.
“It’s hard to make a plan to vote when you’re focused on surviving the day to day,” she said. “A federal stimulus and a statewide eviction moratorium will give thousands of Pennsylvanians the security of knowing their basic needs will be met so they can make a plan to vote.”
To chart a path forward, Make the Road Organizing Director Patty Torres said Pennsylvania’s policymakers must immediately adopt a set of policy recommendations that are responsive to and center on those most impacted by the unfolding crisis.
Those recommendations include adopting unemployment insurance for workers, expanding support measures to cover undocumented immigrants, ensuring access to health care regardless of immigration status and keeping community members in their homes by ensuring a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures.
“By taking swift action, Pennsylvania can ensure all communities around the state have the support they so urgently need,” the authors wrote. “Decisive action is required to ensure our communities get the vital economic support they need. This support will not only ensure our communities can secure safe housing, food and other basic needs, but also ensure broad and inclusive civic participation in Pennsylvania.”
