Families of color are losing the most during the coronavirus pandemic, from jobs to housing, food security and mental health, according to data released Monday by the nonprofit Voices for Virginias Children.
One in four Black families reported sometimes or often not having enough to eat, compared to about one in six families overall; more than one in three Black families also suffered housing instability compared to about one in five Virginia families overall, according to the study.
Emily Griffey, the nonprofits chief policy officer, said the data shows a need for policy changes in school funding, and also more unemployment support.
We knew it was happening. Weve seen job losses. This report just intensifies with the statistics, Griffey said in an interview. For us, these statistics show that this was happening in October and its still going on. The immediate response hasnt resolved that.
The data, from an Annie E. Casey Foundation study, was gathered from the Household Pulse Survey provided by the U.S. Census, over a weekly period from mid-September to the beginning of October.
Almost half of Virginia families lost income since the beginning of the pandemic, which began shuttering businesses in March, according to the survey. In Virginia, 60% of Black families have lost income, and 58% of Latino families have lost income, showing a disproportionate impact among the two groups.read more
New study outlines how families of color in Virginia are affected by the pandemic
