Last updated:
May 19, 2004
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Panel:
Community Level Approaches to Helping Latino Families
A report contributed by 
Theme: Youth, Families, and Communities
Moderator: Hortencia Kayser, SLU
Presenters:
- Sherry F. Nelson, Human Development Specialist, Marion County,
University Extension
- Ann Ziebarth from University of Minnesota, �Centro Campesino�Housing
Migrant Workers�
- Donna Martin, Farmington Area Office, USDA Rural Development,
Missouri : �Helping Communities with Facilities and Services
for the Latino Population�
Disaster Response and Missouri Hispanics: Are We Prepared?
Sherry F. Nelson, Human Development Specialist, Marion County,
University Extension
Disasters in Missouri are costly.� The initial cost of the Missouri
2002 disasters was $90 million.� The initial cost of the May 2003 Missouri
tornados was $32 million at the close of FEMA operations in July of
that year.� For the same tornados, the SBA quoted the cost at $53.8
million by August.� These figures don�t include agriculture losses
of any kind.� Clearly, the devastation is enormous to all populations,
but it is worse for some.
Disaster-vulnerable populations include those with low socioeconomic
status, including the less educated, elderly, children
and persons with disabilities, women and minorities.� Given the 92.2%
increase in Hispanic population in Missouri between 1990 and 2000 and
the wide
distribution of Hispanics in Missouri, disaster preparedness
for this population is a concern.
The increase in the Hispanic population of 146% in rural areas is
significant, as rural communities are already limited
in resources.� Rural
areas have higher levels of poverty, a higher population
of elderly and children, a smaller tax base to draw from, and fewer
essential
and specialty services to handle a disaster once
it occurs.
A study conducted on Missouri disasters and Hispanics identified language
barriers as a key problem in disaster preparedness
and response.� Additionally,
Hispanics tend to have lower socioeconomic status, a negative factor
in disaster response.� Also, there was no literature in Spanish on
how to prepare for and respond to disasters. �
After last year�s devastating tornados, the University Extension Community
Emergency Management Program developed tornado warnings in Spanish.� For
more information, see the website http://outreach.missouri.educemp/ or www.gocolumbiamo.com/EM/spanish/html for
disaster information in Spanish.
�Centro Campesino�Housing
Migrant Workers�
Ann Ziebarth from University of Minnesota
Between 20,000 and 35,000 people come to Minnesota each summer as
migrant farm workers.� Of those, sugar beet farms were expected to
hire 4,000 workers, and the number of available housing units were
89.� Migrant farm workers used to have housing provided automatically
as part of the job. � Not anymore.
Centro Campesino began in 1998 as a labor membership organization,
and by 1999 they held biweekly meetings and organized
on-site daycare.� The
mission of Centro Campesino is �to improve the lives of migrant agricultural
workers, � says Ann Ziebarth.
The key issues they are currently working on include housing, health,
education, immigration, child care, and worker justice.� They recently
lost the wage battle, and anyone involved didn�t get hired back the
next season.� But they did have successes.� They got a tornado shelter
built and got the company to do some improvements
in the day care center.
The primary issue is housing.� A room with a bunk bed, a concrete
partition, one naked bulb hanging down with a pull
chain, and only a Bunsen burner for cooking: migrant
workers consider this to be good
housing.� However, even that often is no longer available.� Migrant
workers� housing needs are overshadowed by general affordable housing
needs in rural areas.
Some companies are now considering barracks-style housing, where 15-18
people reside in a construction trailer. There is
one pay telephone for the whole camp, and there are no cooking facilities
at all.� Additionally,
the shift in having to pay for housing�whereas it used to be included
as compensation�now means many workers go back to Texas with just their
last paycheck in hand for the next six months.
Now an architect is working with Centro Campesino, trying to involve
the community in the design of housing.� Typical of Campesino, they
take cooperative solutions to big problems.� This new housing would
include a mechanics space, daycare, emergency shelter,
community rooms and 15 private quarters. �
However, they are repeatedly running into barriers in locating and
purchasing land to build on.��� After several issues with developers,
sellers, the federal government and the city disallowing them to build,
an anonymous donor provided $100,000 for future land purchase.� Centro
Campesino continues working to locate a suitable site.� Their short-term
goal: to force the company to provide at least kitchen
facilities.
Donna Martin, Farmington Area Office, USDA Rural Development, Missouri �Helping
Communities with Facilities and Services for the
Latino Population�
The USDA administers federal funds for the Rural Housing Service,
the Rural Business Cooperative Service, and the Rural
Utility Service.� All
three agencies are known as Rural Development.
Rural Development provides financial and technical assistance for
community programs, business programs, and housing
programs.� All programs
are available to minority populations.� Rural Development especially
wants to focus on increasing Hispanic home ownership.� Level of income
defines who can receive services.� Rural Development can help the Hispanic
population with facilities and service and by assisting
citizens and documented immigrants with businesses and housing.
Public bodies, not-for-profit entities and Indian tribes are eligible
for community facility direct and guaranteed loans
and grants.� These
monies cover such things as health services; community, social or cultural
services; fire rescue and emergency service; telecommunications; and
medical and education links.� Funding can also cover construction enlargement
or improvement and the purchase of equipment.� Contact the USDA Rural
Development for a fact booklet on the details of
these programs.
Day 2: Thursday, March 11th, 2004.
Reporter: Diane Kuschel
(573)875-1395
(573)881-4041
kuscheldg@missouri.edu
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