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Torres-Gil on Entrenched Disadvantages in Hispanic Community

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Fernando Torres-Gil, director of the Center for Policy Research on Aging at UCLA Luskin, co-authored an opinion piece for the Abilene Reporter News on the accumulated lifelong disadvantages experienced by the Hispanic community, which leave it particularly vulnerable to COVID-19. “Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanic whites to experience health conditions tied to poverty, low levels of educational attainment and inadequate retirement income,” wrote Torres-Gil and co-author Jacqueline L. Angel. Eliminating these disparities should be a national priority, they said, arguing for a robust social safety net that ensures access to health care coverage, fair housing and an equitable education. They also called for the creation of “new and innovative community assets — like affordable adult day and child care services — that are critical resources to improve intergenerational relations, health and well-being, as well as the academic success of generations to come.”

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As Election Nears, LPPI Hosts Roundtable With Philanthropic Leaders About Latino Agenda

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Working with Hispanics in Philanthropy, the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative, or LPPI, hosted a virtual conversation Oct. 1 with 29 philanthropic leaders about shaping a political agenda for Black and brown people. Titled “Juntos Ganamos,” or “Together We Win,” the discussion centered on “Shaping a 21st Century Latino Agenda,” a blueprint recently created by UCLA LPPI for policy reforms on issues that include climate change, health, economic opportunity and voting rights. The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened existing inequities, and the agenda seeks to address systemic racial injustices and chart a path forward. The roundtable was the first in a series in which Latinx foundation presidents, CEOs and trustees will examine the role of philanthropy amid a global pandemic, ongoing economic inequality and a renewed focus on violence involving police. “There is importance in building unity and coalition among all communities of color, while recognizing the efforts, lives and leadership of our Black peers,” said María Morales MPP ’20, who helped put together the roundtable. Speakers included Sonja Diaz, founding director of the initiative, who said Latino workers often experience “invisibility” in the workplace. “Essential should not be interchangeable with disposable,” Diaz said. Roundtable attendees also learned about research that demonstrates that Black, brown, Asian and Indigenous people combine to make up America’s new majority, potentially influencing policy for years to come. Mobilizing such voters is essential for both parties in the November elections, presenters noted, and philanthropy can play a key role in helping to build solidarity among ethnic communities. — Eliza Moreno

Peterson on Campaigns Reshaped by COVID-19

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The Los Angeles Times spoke to Public Policy Professor Mark Peterson for a story about new strategies local candidates are using to get out the vote during a time of pandemic. Many candidates have replaced door-knocking and big rallies with virtual town halls and car caravans with signs and honking. Instead of traditional campaign stops, some have hosted community service projects, such as handing out food, diapers and masks emblazoned with the candidate’s name. Peterson said that it’s unclear how the ongoing pressures of the pandemic will shape decisions about local candidates, including whether voters will hold incumbent politicians accountable for L.A.’s handling of the COVID-19 threat. He also noted that the campaign timetable has been affected by the push toward early voting due to postal delays. People “may vote quite early, before you’ve even had a chance to reach them,” Peterson said.

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Astor on Fears of Unreported Child Abuse

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Social Welfare Professor Ron Avi Astor spoke to EdSource for an article on the steep drop in reports of child abuse in California since the COVID-19 pandemic closed school campuses. With teachers no longer seeing students in person in most parts of the state, advocates say thousands of cases of child abuse may be going unreported, the article noted. In a recent survey of school social workers, 59% said they felt the pandemic is compounding child abuse and neglect, at least to a moderate degree. Astor, part of the research team that conducted the survey, said that schools, especially those in low-income neighborhoods, must become community hubs where families can get food, health care, mental health services, and job and housing resources. “Everyone needs to be shifting their roles right now because the pandemic isn’t going away any time soon,” Astor said. “If we help these families, they won’t forget. They’ll remember that school can uplift you.”

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Astor Says Student Hunger Demands a National Solution

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Social Welfare Professor Ron Avi Astor penned a commentary for CNN calling for a national plan of action to address the increase in child hunger in the wake of COVID-19. Astor, who recently published a research brief on social workers’ recommendations for reopening schools this fall, wrote that many students’ basic needs – such as food, housing and mental health – are not being adequately addressed. “Students are hungry today,” he wrote. “They cannot wait to eat only after a vaccine is found and distributed.” Pre-pandemic, approximately 5 billion free or reduced-price lunches were served to students across the country each year. Now, collective national action is urgently needed to make sure these schoolchildren do not go hungry, Astor argued. He called for expanded government funding, a public-private collaboration among food banks and food industry partners, and a redeployment of school police forces to reconnect the school and community in a spirit of care rather than feeding the school-to-prison pipeline. 

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Ong on High Stakes of Census Undercount

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A CNN report on the high stakes of an inaccurate census called on Paul Ong, director of the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge at UCLA Luskin, to provide analysis and expertise. A significant census undercount could have a sweeping impact: States could lose representatives in Congress. Children might miss out on needed funding for schools and other programs. Communities of color could get less funding for health care. Money for roads, bridges and transportation might fall short. Businesses might be stuck using flawed data for important decisions. The article cited an analysis, co-authored by Ong, that warned of a serious undercount of immigrants, low-income people and people of color. This could imperil funding for hospitals and health care clinics that serve these populations, as well as programs such as Medicaid and Medicare, Ong said. He added that census data also could be used to determine where to set up COVID-19 testing sites or how to prioritize vaccine distribution.

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Ling on COVID and the Future Housing Market

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Urban planning lecturer and policy analyst Joan Ling spoke to StorageCafé about the COVID-19 pandemic’s potential impact on the future of housing in the United States. While Americans have spent more time working, studying and sheltering in their homes this year, Ling did not predict a heightened demand for bigger residences. “We have a very short memory,” she said. “Keep in mind that many countries and cities with much higher density than the U.S. are doing very well in managing COVID. It’s not about apartment size and building density.” Ling added that younger people are “much more conscious about climate change and the impact of the built environment, and their housing choice, on the future of the planet.” Buildings that are environmentally sustainable and resilient to climate change will probably perform well in the marketplace, she said.

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Astor on Schoolchildren, Trauma and COVID-19

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Education Week spoke to Social Welfare Professor Ron Avi Astor about ways school systems can support students struggling with toxic stress. A nationwide survey of school social workers conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found “profound, immediate, urgent needs” related to health, housing, food instability and other issues. Astor, who co-authored the study, said many schoolchildren dealing with toxic stress will need a wide range of services that go beyond basic trauma-sensitive instruction, which focuses on building up social and emotional skills in addition to academics. “To do a trauma-informed-care school where everybody’s focused on great interactions, but 80% of your kids are hungry, doesn’t make sense,” Astor said. Schools, government agencies and community groups must work together to provide a multi-tiered system of academic, social and basic living supports, “not in a crisis mode … but for the long-term, like you would in a war,” Astor said.

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Tilly Comments on Rise of Cleaning Robots

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Urban Planning Professor Chris Tilly spoke to the Washington Post about the rapid spread of cleaning robots. Many hospitals, airports and other businesses are investing in cleaning robots that use ultraviolet light to disinfect rooms faster and more thoroughly than most human workers. The robots also help maintain social distancing standards. Some robots are used in tandem with human workers to speed up the cleaning process, but many working-class people face heightened risks of losing their jobs due to increasing automation. Tilly noted that this type of Big Tech adoption could disproportionately affect women and people of color, who hold retail and custodial jobs in greater numbers. However, he added that it does take a fair amount of time to train robots, making some hesitant to invest in the new technology. In some cases, robots were still struggling to learn shelf inventory after being in stores for nearly a year.

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Data Informs Action as L.A. Approves Tenant Defense Fund

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Coverage of the city of Los Angeles’ new program to help low-income tenants defend themselves in court if threatened with eviction cited research from the Institute on Inequality and Democracy (II&D) at UCLA Luskin. The city ordinance creating the $10 million program specifically cited a May 2020 II&D report that warned of widespread evictions and homelessness in the city and county amid the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates and elected officials have pointed to the study to press for swift action. They include an official with the nonprofit Housing Rights Center, who urged the Los Angeles City Council to treat the new legal defense fund as “a down payment to greater and more permanent tenant protections,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Other media outlets citing the II&D research include Spectrum News, Telemundo, Fox11 News and the Outlook Newspapers.