by 
Share On Social!
The link between housing and health is undeniable.
Many Latinos and other minorities lack affordable housing options in their big-city neighborhoods, which impacts everything from their overall health to their education and income.
Latina philanthropist and actress Eva Longoria is pushing for more affordable housing.
Longoria recently visited San Antonio, Texas (68% Latino) to discuss the topic and tour an affordable housing complex being remodeled by Turner Impact Capital. The group improves apartments with affordable rent in densely populated and ethnically diverse urban areas, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
San Antonio is expected to have a large, impending affordable housing shortage, studies show.
“A lot of this shortage of workforce housing happens in urban areas, so it’s affecting the Latino community and the African-American community,” Longoria told the Express-News. “Those are communities that I deeply care about and I want to help.”
Turner Impact Capital remodels existing apartments.
Ultimately, this helps lower expenses, reduce vacancies, and profits property owners.
The remodeled properties maintain affordable rent costs and are made available to families earning less than 80% of their area’s median income. In San Antonio, that is less than $35,600 for a person or less than $50,800 for a family of four.
Working professionals living in Turner Impact Capital apartments are also allowed to pay reduced rent if they provide “free services” to other residents. This includes a teacher offering tutorial help, a nurse offering health services, or a police officer offering security advice.
“When we enrich a community with education, with health care, with a safe and secure nurturing environment, we create that pride in rentership, which translates into a more profitable business investment because people stay longer,” Turner Impact Capital CEO Bobby Turner told the Express-News. “When people stay longer, it cuts down on our vacancy and turnover costs.”
Long known for her philanthropic work, especially through her foundation, Longoria found that the nationwide shortage of affordable housing repeatedly came up in her work.
“Whether I’m helping a Latino with educational opportunities, there’s a problem with affordable housing if she gets a job.” Longoria told the Express-News. “If I’m helping farm workers, they can’t afford to live where they work.”
Learn more about the link between health and housing here:
- Language Barriers Often Keep Latinos from Being Home Owners http://salud.to/2ALyYV7 #SaludIncome #SaludSupport
- New Affordable Housing Initiative Proposed for Austin http://salud.to/2lIuBq9 #SaludIncome #SaludSupport
By The Numbers
142
Percent
Expected rise in Latino cancer cases in coming years
