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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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More Arkansas Families at Risk of Homelessness

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Tuesday, December 15, 2020   

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Arkansas is falling short in housing security during the COVID-19 crisis, according to a new report based on the latest Census household survey data.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation says in September and October, nearly 1 in 5 households with kids said they had only "slight or no confidence" at all that they'd make their next rent or mortgage payment on time. Rich Huddleston, executive director of Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, said many folks are working on the front lines at hospitals, child-care centers, restaurants, grocery stores and in low-paying jobs.

"And these are industries that are being disproportionately impacted by the pandemic right now," Huddleston said. "And so, the greater share of your state's workforce that are in these low-wages industries, that makes it much more likely they're going to be at risk in terms of housing insecurity."

He noted housing insecurity is closely tied to hunger. The report found 14% of Arkansas families with children said they "sometimes or often" did not have enough to eat. However, Huddleston said more recent state research shows that number is now closer to 20%.

Broken down by race, the report shows how current and historic policies continue to drive deep inequities in families' access to resources. Leslie Boissiere, vice president of external affairs with the Casey Foundation, said food insecurity is nearly twice as high among Black households with children compared to white households.

"The pandemic has laid bare and really exacerbated racial and ethnic inequities in this country," Boissiere said. "And we've seen that Black, Latino and Native communities in particular have been hard hit."

Huddleston added having to teach kids remotely and work at the same time is taking an enormous toll on parents. He said nearly half of adult respondents said they feel they're not equipped to help their children with schoolwork.

"I think this report clearly shows how significant state and federal intervention is needed to protect the health and economic well-being of families with children," Huddleston said.

He says state and federal lawmakers could expand access to unemployment insurance for part-time and gig-economy workers, low-wage workers and students, and expand child-care access. The report says policymakers also should work to cut red-tape that prevents families from using programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit.

Disclosure: Annie E Casey Foundation contributes to our fund for reporting on Children's Issues, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Education, Juvenile Justice, Welfare Reform. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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