Guest opinion: Strong partnerships help build better future for Hispanic-Latino community
Dr. Arol I. Buntzman and Gerri Moll
Special to The News-Press
Originally Published 6:01 a.m. ET Oct. 7, 2021, see the article here
Across the country and throughout Florida, the coronavirus is still creating an environment in which some individuals and families are struggling to make ends meet. Some have lost jobs, while others are experiencing food insecurity or homelessness. These financial and social challenges are most evident in minority communities, including the Hispanic-Latino community, where longstanding economic disparities have been amplified.
For the well-being of our entire region, and for our shared economic future, it is critical for the whole community to unite behind efforts designed to assist Hispanic-Latino families and individuals in need. With Hispanic Heritage Month underway, now is the time to strengthen the many vital partnerships here in Collier and Lee counties among businesses, public agencies, and not-for-profit organizations that can address the barriers to success that Hispanic-Latino communities face.
Consider that in Collier County, even before the arrival of COVID-19, a U.S. Census survey found that over 20% of Hispanic-Latino families were living below the poverty line in 2019, compared to 6.9% of non-minority families. And in Lee County, the disparity is similar, at more than 21% and 9.4% for those demographics. Despite these imbalances, the Hispanic-Latino population in our region continues to grow; in the last 10 years, Hispanic-Latino individuals have accounted for 40% of Southwest Florida’s population growth.
Access to affordable housing is one of the areas where this disparity is most clearly seen. According to Data Commons’ assessments of Census surveys, just over 10% of Southwest Florida homeowners are Hispanic-Latino despite having significantly higher representation in the region’s population.
The Florida Housing Coalition cites compounding racial issues, such as income inequality, as a major cause for this. It found that Hispanic-Latino residents are much more likely than non-minorities to have housing costs that are more than 30% of their income. The Coalition reports these gaps can reinforce racial disparities even further, negatively impacting job creation, population health and other factors. In the context of the pandemic, these socioeconomic instabilities have resulted in Hispanic-Latino individuals being 2.3-times more likely to die from COVID-19 than non-minorities.
No single organization or company can solve these critical problems for Hispanic-Latino families alone; progress can only be achieved through partnerships, financial support and coordination across sectors. In Southwest Florida, the collaboration between Bank of America and the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance (IFHA) is a prime example of how a team effort can positively impact Hispanic-Latino families.
The IFHA is a nonprofit focused on providing affordable, safe housing for Immokalee. Over 40% of the community’s predominantly Hispanic-Latino population lives in poverty, with annual income below $26,000. An IFHA study found that roughly 1,000 of these families are living in dilapidated trailers and shacks while paying up to 70% of their income in rent. The organization has partnered with Bank of America, and others in the community, to begin construction of a self-sustaining, hurricane resistant complex that will offer rental units to 128 of those families for a fraction of what they are paying now. The complex will include a community center with a computer lab, library, rooms for early childhood learning and more.
Bank of America announced its expanded $1.25 billion, five-year commitment to help advance racial equality and economic opportunity. The bank’s $100,000 grant to the IFHA and this project is a direct result of that commitment and focuses on creating opportunity in key areas like affordable housing for communities of color where systemic, long-term gaps have existed.
Furthermore, solving these critical problems for Hispanic-Latino families requires holistic assistance, targeting other areas, including job training, education and financial literacy, to provide them with the skills needed to succeed and achieve economic mobility.
Tackling this challenge is The Southwest Florida Community Foundation and its “FutureMakers Coalition,” which aims to increase the percentage of local, working-age adults who hold professional credentials, including industry certifications and workforce certificates, to 55% by 2025. Since its launch in 2013, the Coalition has helped 31,000 residents earn such credentials. To support this goal, Bank of America also partnered the Coalition to hire additional personnel to bolster its offerings for minorities and other historically underserved residents.
Strong partnerships between private sector companies and not-for-profits dedicated to strengthening the futures of Hispanic-Latino families will help achieve something beyond financial and social equality; they will help create a more dynamic community and a more just society, leading to greater economic prosperity for us all.
Dr. Arol I. Buntzman is Chairman of the Board of the Immokalee Fair Housing Alliance (IFHA), a nonprofit focused on providing affordable and safe housing for Immokalee working families, and Gerri Moll is president of Bank of America Southwest Florida.