(Photo : Reuters)

Culture and language barriers are just two of the many factors that affect Latinos in Los Angeles in receiving support, according to UCLA research.

A Latino policy and politics initiative researcher published a study about homeless Latinos in Los Angeles using the 2017 data provided by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). Alongside the research were the interviews she conducted with the researchers and providers of homeless services. In the study of Melissa Chinchilla, it was found that Latino people make up around 35 percent of the county's homeless population. 

Chinchilla said that there are many factors as to why there are more Latinos who are not included in the homeless population. This is because Latinos are more likely living in nontraditional homeless spaces such as a converted garage, household with multiple unrelated families, and they are less likely to use public services than other racial groups. However, she also acknowledges that there has been no enough research conducted about Latino homelessness. 

According to the study, 30 percent of Latinos who are engaged in the outreach program, 24 percent of homeless Latinos are placed in interim housing, and 21 percent are placed in permanent housing. One of the factors discovered through the study is that some Latinos cannot understand the terms of rental contracts and services due to the lack or shortage of Spanish translators in homeless services.

Chinchilla added that Latino families are also afraid to speak out even if they know the violations of their landlords. Meanwhile, some Latinos do not know their rights as tenants. Despite this, few bilingual lawyers are counseling the undocumented and low-income Latino communities.

In a published article from Daily Bruin, there are many Latinos who are not utilizing homeless services because of their immigration status. This results in the fear of being disqualified for citizenship status once they utilize the service. Instead of utilizing welfare services, they choose to take multiple jobs especially when they are financially troubled.

Chinchilla also said that Latinos are more likely to experience homelessness and distrust because they are under represented in the criminal justice system. According to the study, despite the improvement in many low-income communities in Los Angeles, many Latinos are still displaced. Also, the rent prices in the state increase every month and this forces low-income individuals and families to live on the street. 

According to Donovan Wilkes, homeless individuals are more receptive to the services they provide every time they are reached out by the staffers of the same demographics. The group of Wilkes offers hygiene kits, snack packs, blankets, and clothing. Wilkes added that there are homeless individuals who choose other organizations that can provide the resource that they need. 

In one of the interviews, Wilkes said "Mainly they've tried the system or they've tried one organization and it didn't work for them, so now they think all organizations are the same," Meanwhile, he also added that mental health issues and long wait times were also te factors seen that restrict homeless in receiving support.

However, Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda who works as an associate professor of Chicana and Chicano studies said that the citizenship status of homeless individuals is one of the biggest problems they experience. He also added that understanding the cultural needs of Latinos would help to address the problems of homeless Latinos. 

Hinojosa-Ojeda said: "People are scared to death to get anywhere near a government official and the first case of undocumented immigrants getting deported in a homeless shelter would mean the end of Latino homeless services."

Hinojosa-Ojeda mentioned also that while it is true that Los Angeles is looking for more immigrant workers, it cannot also be denied that they are underpaid which leads them not to not afford housing in the city and let them end up as homeless. Ojeda believes that this is because of the housing structure of Los Angeles.

To address this problem, Ojeda said that awareness should be raised by using social media and encourage them to participate in homeless services. He said that most of the Latino homeless are using cellphones and other social networking platforms can be used to raise awareness among the Latino homeless.

Meanwhile, the group's linguistic and cultural needs must be taken into consideration and there must be effective strategies in doing this. An example of this is the established ID programs in San Franciso and New York. This help undocumented immigrants obtain services by filling up a form without declaring their immigration status.

Chinchilla also said that one of the solutions in the problems is flexible funding from the government and more collaboration with other organizations that help and support homeless individuals. Moreover, more research should also be done to know the different struggles that Latino homeless are experiencing every day. Through this, it will help as to what right services can be given to the homeless.