SAN DIEGO — As home prices continue to rise, new research reveals the impact housing issues have on Latino voters.
It's now become the top issue ahead of this year's elections, according to UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights and advocacy organization.
“If we went down to the number one issue — what's your top ranked issue? Inflation and the rising cost of living is number one,” said Gary Segura, Ph.D., President and co-founder of BSP Research.
UnidosUS hosted an online forum to go over the new survey numbers collected by BSP research.
Experts say the reason lawmakers should pay attention is because the number of Latino voters has increased year after year nationwide. In California, in 2024, the Latino share of voters is projected to be 28.4%.
"Latinos are tuned in to the actions of policy makers and as we move towards the elections, we know Latinos will be participating in and paying attention to what is happening in Washington, what is happening in their state houses as well as their city halls," said Samuel Kenney, a senior policy analyst with UnidosUS.
Specifically, Kenney said they're looking for programs that can help offset costs in the short term, not long term plans.
"Whether that's first time homebuyers assistance or tax credits, we believe Congress can get behind because the housing issue is national," said Kenney.
In the interim, Latinos have found creative ways to purchase homes. Experts say some families live in multi-generational households and pull their resources together for more purchasing power.
"You have mom and dad on the mortgage but you might have twenty-something year old son and grandma who are contributing toward that mortgage payment," said Laurie Goodman with the Urban Institute.
It's a strategy we could see more of as prices continue to soar.
According to the Urban Institute, during the pandemic, Latino home ownership increased more than black and white home ownership.
It's a trend UnidosUS expects will continue highlighting just how crucial the housing issue is.
“Latinos will comprise approximately 70% of net new homeowners through 2040. The Latino community places a really high value on home ownership,” said Laura Arce, UnidosUS Senior Vice President of Economic Initiatives.
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