Not All Communities are Feeling the Effects of COVID-19 Recovery

No matter our race, where we come from, our sexual orientation or gender identity, we all want the same kind of opportunities for our families and communities. While most of us were not prepared for the economic impact of the devastating outbreak of the coronavirus, lower-income, rural communities, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ communities were and are particularly vulnerable. Small community-based nonprofits are powering local communities’ recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the recovery has not been equal for all groups across Colorado.

Since COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on underserved and under-resourced rural communities and communities of color, it is imperative that we build up the nonprofit sector in these areas so that we can ensure all Coloradans are on the road to recovery. Investing in nonprofits in these communities so that they can continue to provide critical resources to help families recover and rebuild, sets communities up for greater economic success.

The Disproportionate Effects of COVID-19

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), the COVID19 outbreak in Colorado is disproportionately prevalent among Hispanics, African Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. This can be seen in the differences between each group’s share of the state’s population and percentage of COVID-19 cases since the outbreak: 

• Hispanics account for 22% of the state’s population but represent 28% of cases.
• African Americans account for 4% of the population but represent 7% of cases.
• Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, 0.1% of the population but 0.6% of cases.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center highlights the disproportionate effects of the economic fallout of COVID-19. The following are some high-level conclusions. 

Minority groups are seeing the largest losses of livelihood as a result of the pandemic:

• 43% of all respondents reported either a lay-off or pay cut due to COVID-19. 
• Lower-income respondents reported 52%, while higher-income reported 32%. 
• Latinos reported 61%, African Americans 44%, and white respondents 38%. 
• Those without college degrees reported 46%, while those with reported 37%. 

Minority groups have a harder time paying bills. 

• 24% of respondents stated they had difficulty paying bills in a typical month and 32% stated they would have trouble paying bills in April as a result of COVID-19. 
• Women reported these figures at 30% and 38%, while men reported 18% and 24%. 
• African Americans reported 46% and 48%, Hispanics 28% and 44%, and whites 20% and 26%. 
• Lower-income reported 44% and 53%, while upper income reported 7% and 11%. 
  • Further, a much higher percentage of lower-income respondents reported regularly worrying about their financial situation and only 23% stated that they have emergency funds that could cover 3 months of expenses, compared to 48% of middle-income and 75% of higher-income respondents. 

Minority groups will use stimulus checks for basic needs. 

• 54% of respondents stated that they will use their stimulus checks for paying bills or something else essential for their family. 
• Lower-income respondents reported 71%, while higher income reported 34%. 
  • Further, 33% of higher income respondents stated that they will use the stimulus checks as savings, with only 11% of lower-income reporting the same. 
• Hispanics reported 65%, African Americans reported 63%, whites 49%. 
• African Americans also saw the highest share using the checks to pay off debt, at 20%, further highlighting a distressed financial situation. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), only a third of the workforce in the country is able to work from home. Approximately 8% of African American and Hispanic workers in the country earn wages below the poverty level, compared to just 4% of white workers. Even more alarming is that 10% of African American women and 9% of Hispanic women are classified as the working poor.

“While the events of the past 18 months have made us crucially aware of COVID-19’s skewed toll on communities of color and other underserved populations, there has never been a time in which these communities have not suffered disproportionate burdens of death and disease. We know the communities that are first to be forgotten, especially when resources are in short supply. COVID-19 made it clear that a person’s zip code is a stronger driver of health than their genetic code. Inequity sickens our entire nation. The imperative is clear—to advance health equity, we must name and urgently address the historical and contemporary underpinnings of these realities.” – The Presidential COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force

Latinos

It is hard to overstate the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the Latino community in Colorado. Latino adults in Colorado have been infected at higher rates than non-Latinos, are more likely to have been hospitalized, and more likely to have lost their life to the virus. The Colorado Statewide Latino Survey conducted in Summer/Fall of 2021 had 43% of poll respondents indicating they had someone in their household who had COVID-19 and 46% had a family member or friend die due to COVID-19.

The survey also provides an opportunity to evaluate the economic vulnerability of many Latino residents of Colorado who the survey reveals have been hit hard by the economic recession caused by COVID-19. Here are some of the sobering data points that illustrate just how severe the virus has been on the economic well-being of Latino families across the state:

• 60% have had their work hours or pay cut, or had someone in their household lose their job.
• 56% of Latinos in Colorado have had difficulty paying their bills or utilities.
• 50% of Latinos in Colorado have had difficulty paying their rent or mortgage. 
• 33% of Latinos in Colorado have not had enough food to eat.

There is also meaningful variation based on the region of the state in which the respondent lives. For example, Latinos who live in the West region of the state are more likely to not have enough food to eat (40%) and have difficulties paying for their rent or mortgage (64%) than Latinos who live in other areas of the state. However, Latinos who live in the Denver area are the most likely to have had their work hours cut or reduced (64%). The economic vulnerability of the Latino community is best reflected in the limited safety net most respondents have available to lean on during this difficult time. An alarming 42% of Colorado’s Latino population has only $1,000 or less in savings for financial emergencies, 20% with an astonishing $100 or less.

Immigrants

According to the Denver Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and New American Economies COVID-19 Community Impact Survey, 36% of immigrant respondents said their hours were reduced at work, and nearly 25% said they lost their jobs. More than one-fifth of both immigrant respondents (21.1%) and Limited English Proficient immigrant respondents (25.3%) reported not having regular access to timely, accurate information in their preferred language during the pandemic. 56% of immigrant respondents said there was a local organization they could turn to if they needed help getting healthcare, housing, food, or other essentials. Limited English Proficient immigrants were more likely to trust information from social media and nonprofit organizations. 

“There have been generations of institutionalized barriers to things like preventive medical care, healthy food, safe and stable housing, quality education, reliable transportation, and clean air. Research shows that these factors are the most predictive of health outcomes. There is much to be learned from this disaster, and the uneven effects of COVID-19 on different communities that perhaps will be one of the most profound lessons is the apparent need to bridge these inequities and even more closely track the outcomes of COVID-19 by race and ethnicity”.  – Colorado Public Health and Environment Executive Director, Jill Hunsaker Ryan

LGBTQ+

Members of the LGBTQ+ community have also been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic fallout.

• According to LGBTQ+ COVID Impact Survey collected by Out Boulder County in June 2021, overall, LGBTQ+ respondents reported accessing mental health, medical and unemployment benefit services to a greater degree during the pandemic than the non-LGBTQ+ persons surveyed.
• The LGBTQ+ Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) subgroup reported accessing unemployment benefits, TANF, food assistance and direct financial assistance from sources other than the government to the highest degree.
• In total, 79% of LGBTQ+ persons surveyed reported receiving one or more forms of direct financial assistance during the pandemic.