The Latino Impact Plan Report

This week, the Latino Policy Institute and Rhode Island Latino Elected Officials released a report that examines the barriers faced by the Latino community throughout the COVID-19 crisis and provides recommendations for improving the Statewide continued response.

The COVID-19 crisis did not only affect the health of communities and individuals, in fact, it brought about issues around economic security, inequities in education, as well as social and emotional stress. The Latino Impact Plan outlines the unique barriers and opportunities that exist within the Latino community – during and prior to COVID-19 – around economic equity, health, and education.

Economic Equity
Families and businesses struggle to make ends meet –

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, Rhode Island is facing its highest unemployment rate in history reaching a high of 18% in the spring of 2020. Employment and wage loss has caused thousands to struggle to afford their rent and mortgage. According to a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research, in June 2020, 41% of Black-owned and 32% of Latino-owned businesses were forced to close. Without financial and policy support for small businesses, these numbers are set to continue to grow before the end of the year.

Health
Lack of access to health care and insurance –

While Rhode Island has temporarily expanded the Emergency Medicare program to cover individuals who are uninsured and may require testing and hospitalization during the COVID-19 crisis it is imperative to remember that over 24% of Latinos –including children- lack access to necessary and basic health care.

Education
Supporting students and families around educational equity supports –

Our state has been struggling with systemic inequities in the education for decades; from a funding formula, that disproportionately affects communities of color, to racist and discriminatory practices in pedagogy. However, the current crisis further highlighted the ways in which the existing inequities disproportionately affected low-income communities and communities of color through lack of technological resources and funding cuts to districts within cities impacted by COVID-19.

The following recommendations highlight important social and financial investments that the state must create to address the current and future needs of Latinos and other underserved communities in Rhode Island.