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Housing woes hit Hispanics hard

By Marlene Peralta | Special to amNewYork

October 10, 2007

In an era when traditionally Hispanic neighborhoods like Washington Heights and East Harlem are engulfed in gentrification, many long-time residents worry about whether they can hang on.

"It gets worse everyday," said Danilo Almanzar, 50, a Washington Heights factory worker. "Make the calculation yourself, I earn $10.93 an hour and I pay $1,200 [in rent], how much I have left, nothing."

He says he drives a dollar van in the morning and takes workers to their jobs just to make some extra money.

Almanzar reflects the growing number of Hispanics who pay more in monthly rent than the rest of the city population, a trend uncovered in a report by the New York Latino Research and Resources Network, a think tank that studies the Hispanic community.

In 2003, Hispanics paid 4 percent more on housing costs compared to the rest of the population, even with a median income 20 percent lower than any other group, the report shows.

The frustration about the housing crunch underscores how serious and intractable the issue has become in gentrifying communities -- and how serious a challenge it poses to those who represent them.

"It is a difficult problem to solve; you can't just solve it legislatively," said Assemb. Peter Rivera (D-New York), chair of the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force.

Hispanics spend most of their income on rent, he said. Compounding the problem: The loss of affordable housing coupled with a lack of federal funding for new public-housing developments.

Assemb. Adriano Espaillat (D-Manhattan) said low crime rates and more schools in areas of his district like Washington Heights have contributed to gentrification.

"More people want to move in," he said, which is creating a housing crunch. Councilman Miguel Martinez (D-Manhattan), who also represents Washington Heights, said his office organizes town hall meetings to tackle these issues but the turnout is often low.

Hispanics are also the group with the lowest homeownership rate, according to a study released in the spring of this year by the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, a trend that does not reflect the national trend. Rivera said the New York Latino think tank, an organization he helped create, will evaluate this issue as well.

Martin Pellot, 60, who has resided in El Barrio for four decades made his own suggestion: "There needs to be a system to make sure landlords comply with the portion of affordable housing portion they are required to include in new constructions."