This election season, El Tímpano asked Latino and Mayan immigrants living in the East Bay to share the top issues they face in their daily lives. We reached residents through a text message survey and an in-person ballot box activity at community events across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. More than 280 people weighed in on issues that spanned the cost of living, education, health, housing, jobs, public safety and more.
In Oakland, our survey participants identified their four biggest concerns as housing, jobs, the cost of living and public safety. We heard from community members dealing with raised rents, some who feel unsafe taking public transportation and others juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.
We shared these concerns with the three candidates for Oakland’s District 7, a heavily Latino area in East Oakland that spans parts of the Oakland Hills, Arroyo Viejo, East 14th Business District, Oakland International Airport and adjacent neighborhoods. We asked each candidate to share how they would address each issue if they were elected. Two out of the four candidates responded (we did not receive responses from Merika Goolsby or Iris Merrionus).
Below are the candidates’ responses, edited for clarity and length.
Jump to: Housing | Jobs | Cost of living | Public safety
Housing
The Latino and Mayan immigrants we surveyed ranked housing as the number one issue they face. One subscriber, Regina C., said her rent recently increased. How will your housing policies ensure affordable, safe, and stable housing for immigrant families?
Marcie Hodge: For individuals like Regina C., who are facing rising rents, I would prioritize:
- Rent control and tenant protections: Strengthening rent control measures to prevent unjust rent hikes and expanding tenant protection laws to safeguard families from unfair evictions. This would help immigrant families like Regina’s stay in their homes without fear of displacement.
- Affordable housing development: I am committed to increasing the development of affordable housing units, particularly in underserved communities, to ensure that low- and moderate-income families can find safe and stable housing. This would help alleviate the pressure caused by rising rents.
- Rental assistance programs: Expanding access to rental assistance and housing subsidies for immigrant families who may be facing financial difficulties, ensuring they can remain in stable housing during challenging economic times.
- Culturally competent services: Ensuring that housing assistance programs are accessible to non-English speakers by providing information in languages like Spanish and Mam, and offering support through community organizations trusted by immigrant communities.
Ken Houston: To support affordable, safe, and stable housing for Latino and Mayan immigrant families, I would:
- Introduce rent controls to prevent sudden spikes. This would stabilize housing costs for immigrant families.
- Strengthen tenant rights by enforcing anti-discrimination laws with multilingual legal support for immigrant families.
- Increase affordable housing stock and prioritize new developments within immigrant communities.
- Promote home ownership through land trusts and cooperatives to reduce the displacement of immigrant families.
- Preserve existing housing by providing grant funding for repairs to keep affordable housing units habitable without raising rents.
- Expand tenant assistance to provide legal help and emergency aid for rent or eviction issues.
Jobs
The second top issue survey participants voted for was jobs. Alberto S. shared that he hasn’t been able to find work for six months. Virginia C. says her work hours have been cut, it’s been difficult finding full-time work and she had to take two part-time jobs to make ends meet. What strategies do you propose to improve job opportunities, fair wages, and workplace protections for immigrant workers?
Marcie Hodge: To improve job opportunities, fair wages, and workplace protections for immigrant workers like Alberto S. and Virginia C., I propose the following strategies:
- Job training and placement programs: I would advocate for expanding job training and placement services tailored to immigrant workers, ensuring they can access the skills and certifications needed for higher-paying jobs. These programs would also include language assistance to help overcome barriers to finding stable employment.
- Promoting full-time employment: I would push for policies that encourage businesses to offer full-time positions rather than relying on part-time work. This can be done by offering incentives for businesses that provide full-time jobs with benefits, giving workers like Virginia C. a better chance at financial stability.
- Fair wages and labor rights: Strengthening enforcement of fair wage laws and labor protections, particularly for immigrant workers who may be more vulnerable to exploitation, is critical. This includes ensuring that workers receive fair pay for all hours worked and protecting part-time workers from being underpaid or overworked without benefits.
- Support for immigrant-owned small businesses: Immigrant workers often become business owners. I would push for increased access to capital and grants for immigrant entrepreneurs, creating more jobs within their communities and driving economic growth.
- Partnerships with community organizations: I would collaborate with local organizations that serve immigrant communities to connect them with employment resources and legal aid for workplace protections would further enhance job security and fair wages.
Ken Houston: To promote improved job opportunities with workplace protections for immigrant families I would ensure:
- Job training and job placement in high-demand fields like construction, hospitality and service industries, offered through local community colleges and workforce development organizations.
- Fair wages that ensure fair pay and prevent wage theft from employers, especially in English as a Second Language communities.
- Job fairs that engage local businesses and employers, and encourage more full-time job opportunities with benefits.
- Workplace protections that provide legal help, informing immigrants of their workplace rights, on-the-job protections and the importance of unions
Cost of living
The third top issue survey participants ranked was the cost of living. Blanca A. shared that the cost of healthy food, clothes for her kids, school materials, and gasoline has increased, but her wages haven’t gone up. How do you plan to address the rising cost of living in Oakland and its impact on immigrant communities?
Marcie Hodge: To address the rising cost of living in Oakland and its impact on immigrant communities, including people like Blanca A. facing higher prices for essentials, I propose the following strategies:
- Wage increases: I support advocating for a living wage that keeps pace with inflation. Ensuring fair wages is critical to helping families afford basic needs like food, clothing, and school materials. This would also involve pushing for wage equity, especially for immigrant workers who may face pay disparities.
- Affordable childcare and school materials: Expanding access to affordable childcare and free or low-cost school material programs can ease the financial burden on families. Partnering with local nonprofits and businesses to create resource programs would help reduce these costs for immigrant families.
- Healthy food access: I would support initiatives that expand access to affordable, healthy food through community gardens, farmer’s markets and partnerships with local food banks. This can help mitigate rising grocery costs while promoting healthier eating options.
- Public transportation incentives: To address rising gasoline prices, I would advocate for improving public transportation options and providing fare discounts or subsidies for low-income and immigrant families. Expanding access to efficient and affordable transit would reduce reliance on cars and gasoline costs.
- Rent control and housing assistance: Implementing and strengthening rent control measures, as well as increasing housing assistance, would help families cope with rising housing costs, which is one of the largest contributors to the overall cost of living.
Ken Houston: I would address cost of living by:
- Raising the minimum wages to push for better pay to match living costs and give immigrant communities an opportunity to live in their collective communities
- Providing and educating about existing programs to expand [access to] affordable food for families, and affordable childcare and other discounts and resources for essentials, like kids’ clothing, school supplies and other resources.
- Promoting affordable transit options, easing the daily costs for immigrant families in Oakland.
Public safety
The fourth top issue survey participants ranked was public safety. Angie H. wrote that as a mother, she doesn’t feel safe walking with her family around her neighborhood and that she hears gunshots daily. What measures will you implement to ensure the safety and well-being of immigrant residents?
Marcie Hodge: To ensure the safety and well-being of immigrant residents like Angie H. and her family, I would implement several key measures:
- Increased community policing: I support expanding community policing programs that build trust between law enforcement and residents. This would include having more officers patrolling on foot or bike, ensuring a visible presence in neighborhoods where families like Angie’s don’t feel safe.
- Safe spaces for youth: Creating safe spaces for young people through after-school programs, sports, and mentorship opportunities can help prevent crime and provide positive outlets for youth in immigrant communities.
- Gun violence prevention: I would advocate for stronger gun violence prevention initiatives, including working with local organizations to provide conflict resolution and youth engagement programs aimed at reducing crime and gun violence in the community.
- Improved street lighting and surveillance: Ensuring that neighborhoods are well-lit and equipping high-crime areas with security cameras can help deter criminal activity and improve safety for families walking in their neighborhoods.
- Collaboration with the immigrant community: Immigrant residents often face barriers to reporting crime or engaging with law enforcement. I would work to strengthen partnerships with community organizations that serve immigrants, ensuring that their safety concerns are addressed in a culturally competent manner and providing resources for immigrants to report crime without fear.
Ken Houston: I would improve public safety by:
- Increasing community policing by strengthening trust and hiring officers who speak the language, are in the culture and understand the community’s needs.
- Promoting violence prevention programs that address the root causes of violence and offer support for at-risk youth and building relationships through community mentoring.
- Improving lighting and surveillance by increasing street lighting and installing cameras and other resources in high-crime areas to deter violence.
- [Encouraging] ambassador neighborhood patrols, which organize community patrols and safety groups to provide a stronger local presence for measures aimed to make neighborhoods safer for immigrant families.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, 2024. Click here to learn about the different ways you can vote. For a list of vote centers in Oakland, view this map.
