Latinos living in crowded conditions make case to Turlock council, demand help for homeless
Calls for affordable housing sprouted again during a Turlock City Council meeting Tuesday as Latino advocates decried a lack of options, crowded living conditions and discrimination against its homeless population.
Four members of Families de la Raza Unida de Turlock, a new organization fighting for low-cost housing in the region, said Latino and Black residents are disproportionately suffering from the inability to pay rent and afford their own homes. This is despite many being working adults and sharing housing with several people.
Advocates also claim the city is openly discriminating against its homeless by accepting federal money they feel should aid that population’s mobility but instead is being used to sweep encampments.
This isn’t the first time the group has appeared before the council, but more families spoke Tuesday than before. The organization is requesting the city invest in affordable options for its working population but also its homeless, like Housing Choice Voucher Program Section 8 apartments and more opportunities for first-time home buyers who are low-income.
MaryLu Pelyo, organizer for Families de la Raza Unida de Turlock, said in a phone interview that housing already was dire before the pandemic, but prices have skyrocketed since, pricing out low-income families.
“I personally know families, families that live with two, three other families in a single home or apartment because there aren’t even rooms for rent,” she said in Spanish.
One of those families, the Cortezes, appeared before the council Tuesday, with Edgar Cortez advocating for his wife and small children. “I came to support … housing for families like ours that are hard working,” he said in Spanish.
Limited affordable housing options left the family with no choice but to share a single home with three other families, Pelyo said.
Turlock’s homeless sweeps a concern
The city’s recent action to extinguish homeless encampments against public health guidance also has caused concern among the undocumented community, said Miguel Donoso, Hispanic Task Force activist and member of Families de la Raza Unida de Turlock.
If housing isn’t available for citizens, he said he wonders what that will mean for undocumented immigrants in the region who have served as essential workers long before the pandemic.
“How could it be possible that many (homeless) are citizens… and now (the city) wants to kick them out?” he said in Spanish during a phone interview.
Advocates said they disagree with the city’s handling of funds like the Community Development Block Grant (CBDG), which provides annual federal funding for public service programs that benefit low-income families. They feel the city is misusing funds by not investing in housing and its homeless people. However, that money is not allowed to go toward homeless services nor housing construction, according to Turlock.
The city does have funds available that can be used to addressing housing and the homeless crisis, like the $16 million in COVID-19 relief that was granted in March. Turlock city leaders have yet to hold a workshop to discuss how they plan to use the money.
Families de la Raza Unida de Turlock members said they will continue to attend City Council meetings and plan to bring more families to share their testimonies until action is taken. “We’re going to be here every month to put pressure on you,” Donoso told council members.
Those interested in aligning themselves with the organization can contact Pelyo, initially via text, at 209-284-8975.
This story was originally published September 20, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
