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Gasoline:
While the increase in gas prices has increased costs for all commuters, workers from households whose income is below the federal poverty level pay a larger proportion of their income for gas. According to an Urban Institute Study, low-income commuters on average have slightly shorter commutes than those with incomes above the poverty level. However, because their incomes are much lower, poorer commuters spend a much higher portion of their wages on gas. As gas prices inch toward $5 per gallon, double, and in some cases triple, poorer families may see as much as 10 percent of their incomes devoted to buying gasoline.
Homeownership/Housing:
A new report by Redfin shows that Hispanic and Latino homeowners have made marked progress in homeownership over the last six years, often at a much faster pace than white or Black Americans, with 50.1% of Hispanic or Latino Americans owning their home in 2020, up from 45.4% in 2014.
More than half of home ownership growth over the past decade has come from the Latino population. That trend is expected to continue. A study by the Urban Institute forecasts Latino buyers will comprise 70% of home ownership growth from 2020-2040, serving as the growth engine of American home buying. In fact, the Urban Institute suggests that Latinos will be the only ethnic or racial group that will experience a higher home ownership rate over the next couple of decades.
Access to Affordable Health Care:
While Latinos are affected by a wide range of risk factors and diseases, nearly every health disparity experienced could be prevented or more effectively managed given timely access to health care. While a number of barriers including a widespread lack of health insurance and an inadequate supply of linguistically appropriate services preventing Latinos from gaining access to quality care have improved since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, much work remains to be done.
The United States is in dire need of fundamental immigration reform that is realistic, flexible, and addresses the human and family toll. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 provided such a framework but did not gain the necessary support. Today, Immigration Reform remains a stubbornly difficult issue.
Why is this a consumer issue? Simply put, immigration reform that works is an economic issue that will result in increased opportunities for local businesses. Latinos accounted for more than a third of all food process workers and construction workers, more than a quarter of all medical assistants and restaurant workers, and nearly half of the apparel manufacturing workforce.
According to recent studies, the poverty rate among Latino seniors is nearly 18%. Economic insecurity is especially difficult for older adults who are often not physically able to improve their economic situation by re-entering the workforce. Moreover, most of the elders experiencing economic insecurity spent their youth and adulthood in the workforce, but were not able to save enough money to support their basic needs in older age.