Solano Voices: Protect public health, housing stability in Solano - Solano Daily Republic; 4/27/2020
Updated: Sep 23, 2020
BARHII is proud to have contributed to an article published in the April 27, 2020 edition of the Solano Daily Republic.
The essential role housing stability plays in protecting the health of residents is even more visible and critical while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This article examines the proposed countywide eviction moratoriums, and looks at the situation in Solano County.
Key quotes from the article include:
“Having a roof over your head matters for everything from diabetes, to depression, to surviving the novel coronavirus pandemic. Studies have shown that housing insecurity can force families to make unhealthy trade-offs between paying for rent and paying for medical care, food or other basic needs.”
“Many families in Solano County were struggling to afford a home even before Covid-19. The California Housing Partnership reports that Solano County renters need to earn $36.06 per hour - three times the state minimum wage - to afford the median rent of $1,875. Additionally, 80% of extremely low-income households pay more than half of their income on housing costs compared to just 4% of moderate-income households. Research from Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative found that African American families in the Bay Area are nearly five times more likely to pay half their income on housing than white families.”
“The Covid-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the housing crisis as many low-income residents have lost income, don't know when they'll be able to return to work and are struggling to make hard choices between feeding their families and paying rent that's due May 1.”
View the article BARHII contributed to here.