Black and Brown Neighborhoods Lack Resources to Shelter-in-Place During COVID19
Our new research brief released today in partnership with UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Initiative (UCLA LPPI) shows that over 40 percent of Latino and Black residents in Los Angeles live in neighborhoods that lack basic necessities, making it challenging and unsafe for residents during the shelter-in-place restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The most burdened neighborhoods are concentrated in South Los Angeles, in contrast to the least burdened neighborhoods that are concentrated in the city’s more affluent Westside coastal communities.
The difference in neighborhood resources means that residents in high-burden areas face greater risk at infection if they have to leave their neighborhood to access basic needs such as groceries and healthcare services, the report says. The lack of safe outdoor recreational space raises mental health concerns. Furthermore, the most burdened neighborhoods also have a high concentration of renters and households without cars, creating further economic stress and increased risk of infection through the reliance of public transportation.
The research builds on previous efforts to measure the burden of sheltering in place with the UCLA Institute on Inequality and Democracy and the public interest firm, Ong & Associates.
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