After immigration issues, housing problems are the next greatest problem facing the Latino
community.
There is nowhere near enough decent, safe, affordable housing available.
Trailers/ mobile homes present as great if not more housing issues as standard housing.
There are many houses / apartments inappropriately subdivided, creating living units which
can be severe safety hazards, present public health problems, inter- and intra-family
tensions due to overcrowding. These questionable but profitable arrangements are also
largely illegal.
Landlord / Tenant problems are rife in the Latino community.
Questionable utility bills present problems to many tenants.
Many tenants – both with documents complete and not-yet-documented – are afraid
to make complaints because of the housing shortage.
Lack of public transportation compounds housing issues because it limits mobility.
Language is a barrier which allows tenants to remained confused about legal rights.
Non traditional rental arrangements fall outside the strict interpretation of the law, yet
raise major issues of housing justice:
Often one family is allowed to rent a house at an exorbitant rent with the tacit agreement
of subletting
R bedrooms within a single-family house rented at $100 per week to
single individuals
R workers sleeping in
shifts in the same bed due to work schedule