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UCLA LPPI Study Reveals Housing Challenges for Latino Renters in Los Angeles

As the February 1, 2024, deadline for the end of the rent freeze and COVID-19 rental debt payments looms in the City of Los Angeles, a new UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute Latino Data Hub brief titled “Facts about Latino Renters in Los Angeles County” offers a comprehensive look into the number and characteristics of renters facing housing cost burden.

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Contact: lppipress@luskin.ucla.edu

UCLA LPPI Study Reveals Housing Challenges for Latino Renters in Los Angeles

The new factsheet highlights over half of Latino renters are burdened by housing costs, with women and individuals with lower levels of formal education facing more significant challenges.

LOS ANGELES (January 30, 2024) – As the February 1, 2024, deadline for the end of the rent freeze and COVID-19 rental debt payments looms in the City of Los Angeles, a new UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute Latino Data Hub brief titled “Facts about Latino Renters in Los Angeles County” offers a comprehensive look into the number and characteristics of renters facing housing cost burden. The analysis – drawing from the Latino Data Hub – reveals that over half of Latino renters in the county are burdened by housing costs. 

This new study is especially timely, shedding light on the critical challenges just days before substantial policy changes are set to take effect in the largest city within L.A. County. The impending changes may further worsen the housing affordability issue that Latino households have been grappling with, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The analysis found that over half of the Latino renters in LA County faced substantial housing cost burdens. The data reveals that more than half of the Latino renters, amounting to 55%, were categorized as housing cost-burdened. Within this group, 27% of the renters experienced a moderate housing cost burden, meaning they spent more than 30% but less than 50% of their income on housing expenses. Alarmingly, an additional 28% were facing a severe housing cost burden, allocating 50% or more of their income towards housing. This significant financial strain highlights the critical issue of housing affordability facing a large segment of the Latino community in one of the nation’s most populous counties. 

“As we approach the critical date of February 1, it’s imperative to recognize the potential for increased rent struggles among residents of Los Angeles County,“ said Jie Zong, co-author of the factsheet and senior research analyst at UCLA LPPI. “The findings in the data brief serve as a stark reminder that as these protective measures expire, many individuals and families could find themselves in increasingly precarious housing situations.”  

Co-author Mariah Bonilla, a community coordinator at UCLA LPPI, added, “Even though getting a post-secondary credential often means fewer housing cost problems, we’re seeing that around 2 out of 5 Latino renters who’ve been to college or have more education still struggle to afford their homes. Even with better education, a good portion of Latino renters are still facing tough housing costs.”

Other findings of the study include:

  • Among Latino racial groups, Afro-Latino renters have the highest rate of severe housing cost burden. While Afro-Latinos faced comparatively lower rates of moderate housing cost burden at 22%, they had the highest rate of severe housing cost burden, at 32%. 
  • The disparity in housing cost burden between Latinas and Latinos varied significantly across descent groups, with the widest gaps observed among Guatemalans, Puerto Ricans, and Hondurans.
  • Unemployed Latinos and those not in the labor force experienced a higher rate of housing cost burden than employed Latinos. Even while employed, almost half of all Latino renters were rent-burdened.

“As this factsheet from the Latino Data Hub team at UCLA LPPI highlights, the housing affordability issues facing our Latino communities in Los Angeles are both complex and widespread,” added Rodrigo Dominguez-Villegas, director of the Latino Data Hub. “Our aim is to provide community advocates and decision-makers with accurate, in-depth data to better understand these challenges. This analysis offers a foundation for informed discussions that could improve housing affordability. We remain committed to delivering reliable and insightful data through this and future analyses to support our communities in addressing these critical issues.”

Read the full data brief here.

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About UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute:

The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute is a non-partisan research institute that seeks to inform, engage, and empower Latinos through innovative research and policy analysis. LPPI aims to promote equitable and inclusive policies that address the needs of the Latino community and advance social justice. latino.ucla.edu.