LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A statewide poll of Latino registered voters in California finds that affordable housing could be a major voting issue for the Latino community. The poll of 900 Latino registered voters found that 88% agreed that policymakers in California should take steps to "expand development of affordable housing" including 62% who strongly agreed - the highest mark of any policy issues assessed on the survey. The Latino Community Foundation and The San Francisco Foundation co-sponsored the poll ahead of the January 25, 2018 California gubernatorial debate set to focus on issues in the Latino community. 

Support for additional affordable housing was highest among Latinos in the Bay Area (91% agree) and Los Angeles metro (90%)—the two largest urban areas in California. Latino voters said this was an issue that could influence their support for or against the candidates. When asked if they would be more likely, or less likely to support a candidate who endorsed and campaigned in favor of the $4 billion state bond for affordable housing, 81% of Latinos said they would be more likely to support the candidate, against 17% who said less likely.

Beyond affordable housing, the poll found widespread Latino support in California for a single-payer health system, investment in green jobs, additional steps to reduce carbon pollution, and increased funding for colleges and universities. These will be the priority issues to be discussed at the upcoming gubernatorial forum organized by The Latino Community Foundation, in partnership with Univision.

Matt Barreto, co-founder of Latino Decisions who oversaw the poll noted, "Latinos in California expect a well-functioning and progressive state government that helps create opportunities for people to succeed. With housing prices skyrocketing, Latino voters are telling the state to do something serious and do something now. Homeownership is the backbone of economic stability and the American Dream and Latinos expect the state to level the playing field."

"Latinos have a critical role to play in the 2018 Midterm Elections," said Jacqueline Garcel, CEO of the Latino Community Foundation. "They are eager to exercise their influence and advance a progressive agenda that reflects their values. The candidates have an opportunity to clearly define their policy agenda for equitable solutions for affordable housing, healthcare, and immigration. California boasts of being a progressive state, Latinos are poised to support the policies that will help our state live up these progressive ideals."

"Addressing the housing crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area is central to our region's economic prosperity," said Fred Blackwell, CEO of The San Francisco Foundation. "It is encouraging to see that 81% of Latino voters who participated in the survey are much more — and somewhat more — likely to support the 2018 California gubernatorial candidate that supports state measures to produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing."

TABLE: Median home value, Dec 2017, Zillow
California: $524,000
Los Angeles County: $658,000
Orange County: $699,000
Bay Area metro: $910,000
Arizona: $231,000
Nevada: $258,000
Oregon: $318,000
Colorado: $344,000

Latino voters also weighed in on a number of pressing national issues including immigration, tax reform, policing, racism, and the 2020 census. As the U.S. Federal Government faces a shutdown and legal protections for dreamers set to expire in March 2018, an overwhelming 89% of California Latinos think it is a good idea for Congress to pass the DREAM Act. Consistent with previous research, a majority of Latino voters are connected to undocumented immigrants, with 57% stating they personally know someone who is undocumented and 42% say they know someone who applied for DACA.

Other highlights from the poll of California Latino voters:

• 70% believe the Tax reform law passed by Congress will mostly help big corporations and the wealthy
• 59% believe the state prisons and criminal justice system are unfair to Latinos
• 67% believe racism and discrimination against Latinos remains a major problem in society
• 51% are concerned the 2020 Census might share household information with immigration and customs enforcement (ICE)

Methodology
On behalf of the Latino Community Foundation and the San Francisco Foundation, Latino Decisions surveyed 900 Latino adults between January 6-14, 2018. Interviews were collected via landline, cell phone, and web. The phone portion was conducted by live interviewers who were bilingual and administered the survey in language of preference of respondents. The online portion was conducted in a respondent self-administered format, and the survey and invitation was available to respondents in English or Spanish. The full data are weighted to match the Latino registered voter population in the 2016 Census ACS 1-year data file for age, gender, education, nativity, ancestry, and voter registration status. A post-stratification raking algorithm was used to balance each category to the ACS estimates. The survey carries a margin of error of +/- 3.3 percentage points. For questions on methodology please contact: Dr. Matt A. Barreto, matt.barreto@latinodecisions.com

About the Latino Community Foundation
The Latino Community Foundation has the largest network of Latino philanthropists in the country and has invested millions of dollars to improve the livelihood of Latino families. Its mission is to unleash the power of Latinos in California by investing in Latino-led organizations dedicated to the transformation of their communities. It is the only statewide foundation solely focused on investing in Latino youth and families in California. The Foundation is home to the first-ever Latino NonProfit Accelerator, which exists to scale the impact of leading Latino-led organizations across the state of California. The Foundation's innovative programs and unique partnerships have dramatically increased the level of civic engagement and political participation of Latinos, while also elevating their voices and leveraging their power to advance justice and equity. Working closely with key partners, the Foundation reached over 6 million people during the last election season.

About The San Francisco Foundation
With more than $1.3 billion in assets, The San Francisco Foundation is one of the largest community foundations in the country. The foundation is committed to expanding opportunity and ensuring a more equitable future for all in the Bay Area, and working with its donors, it distributed more than $150 million to nonprofit organizations last year. The San Francisco Foundation serves Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties.

SOURCE Latino Community Foundation

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