Possibility Lab and Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies in partnership with the CIELO Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation Release New Report on Realities of Latino Access to Basic Resources in the Inland Empire
In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, the Possibility Lab at UC Berkeley and the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, in partnership with the CIELO Fund at the Inland Empire Community Foundation, released a new report examining the experiences of Latino voters in the Inland Empire (IE) when accessing basic resources. The Inland Empire is a southern California region that includes Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The results show some promising responses. For example, most IE Latino registered voters find clean water, safety, and internet to be accessible. Only 33%, 40%, and 44%, respectively, say accessing those essentials is difficult. Education and training, as well as transportation, are likewise accessible for about half of IE Latino voters. The brief also provides insights into areas where further intervention can improve quality of life for Latinos in the region. For example, nearly 80% of Latino voters report difficulty finding affordable housing. Some 70% expressed difficulty finding healthy, affordable food; 65% and 63% report difficulty finding affordable eldercare and childcare, respectively; and 61% report difficulty finding good jobs.
The poll, part of the Possibility Lab’s Abundance Accelerator, surveyed 8,199 California voters in early 2024, focusing on their ability to access 12 basic resources. For this polling brief, analyses focused on responses from the 227 Latino voters from the IE who participated in the survey. The experiences from these respondents were compared to White voters in the region and California voters statewide.
“The Inland Empire is one of California’s most resilient and fastest-growing regions and the opportunities and challenges that confront these communities, particularly its majority Latino community, matters,” said Amy E. Lerman, Executive Director of the Possibility Lab and Professor of Public Policy & Political Science at UC Berkeley. “This polling brief shows where Inland Latinos find ease accessing essentials like water, safety and housing, but also that housing, jobs and family care are more challenging to find or afford. We hope these findings are helpful to funders, elected officials and others who believe like we do that this region’s success will influence the success of our state and nation.”
The results show that Latino voters in the IE face greater challenges in accessing essential resources compared to their White counterparts and California voters overall. For example, IE Latino voters were 19 percentage points more likely than White IE voters to report difficulty accessing healthy food (70% vs. 51%) and 15 percentage points more likely to struggle with finding good jobs (61% vs. 46%).
“The data suggests that Latino voters find it more difficult than others to access basic resources and meet the increasing cost of living in the state, including the Inland Empire,” said Berkeley IGS Co-Director G. Cristina Mora. “We should keep in mind that these are likely low-bound estimates of felt need, and that the actual need among Latinos as a whole (registered and non-registered residents) is likely higher than reported here. Indeed, despite comprising an outsized proportion of the IE workforce, many Latinos still find it difficult to make ends meet.”
Latinos currently comprise 52% of the region’s population and are expected to exceed 70% of the overall region’s population by 2060.
Key Findings from the Survey:
Clean Water, Safety, and Internet are accessible for most IE Latino voters. Only 33%, 40%, and 44%, respectively, of respondents say accessing these essentials is difficult.
Education & Training are accessible for about half of IE Latino voters. Only 47% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that education and training are difficult to access, with the remaining 63% disagreeing, strongly disagreeing, or having no opinion.
Transportation is accessible for about half of IE Latino voters. Only 47% of respondents said accessing transportation was difficult, with the remaining, or 63%, disagreeing, strongly disagreeing, or having no opinion.
Affordable Housing is difficult to find for many IE Latino voters. Nearly 80% of these respondents agree or strongly agree that where they live it is difficult for them to find suitable housing at a price they can afford.
Good Jobs are hard to find for many IE Latino voters. Some 61% of these respondents agree or strongly agree that it is difficult for people to find good jobs when they need or want them.
Affordable, Healthy Food is hard to get for many IE Latino voters. 70% of these respondents agree or strongly agree that it is difficult for them to get healthy food at a price they can afford.
Affordable Eldercare and Childcare are hard to secure for many IE Latino voters. Nearly two-thirds of these respondents agree or strongly agree that it is difficult for people in their community to find affordable childcare or eldercare (65% and 63%, respectively).
Accessing Affordable Energy is challenging for more than half of IE Latino voters. 55% of these respondents agree or strongly agree that it is difficult for them to get the energy they need to power and heat their home at a price they can afford.
Further Reading
Workforce, Communities, and Housing
Los Angeles Times: Californians sharply divided along partisan lines about immigration raids, poll finds
