Over the past two months, Latinos and all Americans have spoken out against the EPA’s proposal to reduce the waters that are protected by the agency. Of the 577,212 public comments submitted, 2,367 members of the Salud America! network sent EPA Chief Andrew Wheeler an email. These messages urged Wheeler’s organization to not follow through with their plan to revise the definitions of the Waters of the United States (WOTUS), or more commonly the “dirty water rule.” The EPA is reviewing the messages, but thousands of miles of rivers, lakes, and wetlands could be put in danger of pollution if the EPA enacts this rule. Risks Involved The landmark Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 as part of an effort to reduce widespread pollution. Greater requirements were added to ...
Nearly 30,000 public comments, including some from Salud America!, were submitted on Trump’s proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that would strip benefits from as many as 750,000 Americans. The public comment period ended on April 2, 2019. We asked our network members to submit statements that will go to protect Latino and all families. Over 1,500 people visited our model comments web page in February, March, and April 2019. "The comments make it clear that most Americans not only oppose but are utterly repulsed by this plan to punish the poorest among us by denying them help to feed themselves," Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at the Environmental Working Group said in a statement. In New York City (28% Latino) ...
The safety of roads and sidewalks impacts everyone. Although Complete Streets initiatives are traditionally led by a transportation or public works sector, the public health organizations have played a role in communities across the country. A new report from the University of Chicago’s Institute for Health Research and Policy provides key strategies from public health agencies, advocates, and practitioners in 15 U.S. jurisdictions who have engaged in Complete Streets-related initiatives in their communities.
Why Complete Streets?
Complete Streets initiatives aim to create more equitable transportation systems by providing affordable, convenient, and accessible modes of mobility for all users. This includes individuals who rely on walking, biking, and public transit as their ...
Access to affordable housing can provide numerous benefits to renters and buyers, including leading healthier lives. A new survey from the affordable housing nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners establishes the connection between homes and wellness. It also goes to show that rent-burdened Americans suffer through potentially damaging delays in medical care due to their limited budget. The report discovered more than 50% of renters had delayed medical care because they could not afford it. Moreover, 100% of medical professionals surveyed said their patients had expressed concerns about affordable housing.
How Does Housing Impact Health?
Survey's like Enterprise's go to show how nonprofit, governmental housing groups are beginning to view housing and health as ...
The relatives of American soldiers encounter harmful daily exposure from environmental issues found in the housing they’re provided with by the U.S. Government, reports show. Black mold, plumbing problems, poor water quality, and other concerns are among the harms to which service members, their spouses, and children are exposed. These complications originate from low-quality construction, according to Military Times. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) conducted an online survey seeking feedback on the state of military housing in January. Shannon Razsadin, MFAN’s executive director, said the results were alarming. “Some are dealing with major long-term implications, and while things probably can’t be made right for them, we do hope that moving forward, ...
At the end of her life, Dr. Samarys Seguinot-Medina hopes to say she made the world a safer place to live for the children in her family. Seguinot-Medina has known two personal truths since she was young: Nature, as well as humanity, are worth fighting for; and there are countless issues to battle — causing her to devote her time, career to promoting environmental health and chemical safety. That is why, for almost 10 years, Seguinot-Medina and her colleagues at Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT) worked to ban hazardous flame-retardant chemicals, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in Alaska (8.9% Latino). Those efforts eventually resulted in passing Assembly Ordinance 2019-15(S), or the Toxic Free Children Ordinance, an Anchorage-wide ban of products containing ...
Magnolia Park is one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods in Houston's East End. Unfortunately, its 17,800 residents live in a food swamp. Fast food access is abundant. Healthy food access is scarce, as are safe spaces to be physically active. Jorge Olvera wanted to boost healthy food and physical activity at the same time. His big idea? Community gardening. "A great strategy for addressing [food swamps and hunger] is to provide community members a safe space to grow their own food," Olvera said.
The Great Need for Healthy Food in Magnolia Park
Olvera works for El Centro De Corazon, a federally qualified health center. He witnessed the health center serving a growing amount of Magnolia Park and East End patients who had debilitating chronic and obesity-related ...
The California Department of Substance Control (DTSC) received 61 comments, 80% from Salud America! network members, that urged state regulators to remove harmful chemicals in nail-care products. The department began taking statements on February 15, asking for the public’s input on toluene — a substance linked to numerous adverse health issues. Studies and reports have shown that this chemical poses harm to those who experience long-term exposure. We asked our Salud America! network members in California to speak up for the safety of salon industry workers and consumers. The DTSC received 61 comments, 50 of which were or a variation of, Salud America! model messages. Still, the DTSC has more work to do in determining whether or not toluene should become a “priority ...
Latinos now account for the majority of homeownership growth in the U.S., according to recent findings from the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). The report analyzes information such as labor force participation, household formation, median income, and aspirational interest, among other factors, to evaluate different demographics' roles in overall homeownership gains. It also provides insight into how Latinos are fairing in the current housing market. The data shows that Latinos are the only racial or ethnic demographic with positive homeownership rates over the last four years. "Over the past decade, Hispanics have accounted for 62.7% of net U.S. homeownership gains, growing from 6,303,000 homeowners to 7,877,000, a total increase of ...
