HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 4a. UndocuSupport Presentation Item 4a.
Human Relations Commission
Agenda Report
For Agenda of: 7/5/2023
Item Number: 4a.
FROM: Nestor Veloz-Passalacqua, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
Phone Number: (805) 781-7073
E-mail: nveloz@slocity.org
SUBJECT: UNDOCUSUPPORT PRESENTATION
RECOMMENDATION
The Human Relations Commission will receive an update about UndocuSupport’s
initiatives and work implemented as it relates to use of City funds from the program
director, Chelsea Ruiz, and will provide feedback.
BACKGROUND
SLO County UndocuSupport provides and connects resources, support, and advocacy
for and with undocumented and other immigrant families in SLO County to make
meaningful impact and true system change. UndocuSupport strives to meet the basic
needs of immigrant families to allow them to be healthy and thrive in the challenging
environment of disproportionate impacts of disasters and beyond, layered over years of
systemic racism. UndocuSupport seeks to improve access to basic health and social
services, and provide support to allow families to work, attend school, and care for
children. UndocuSupport was awarded $16,000 in the 22-23 DEI High Impact Grant for
direct for undocumented community and community workshops. The Human Relations
Commission (HRC) will receive an update on the used of City funds to further the aim and
initiatives of the organization and Commissioners will have an opportunity to ask
questions.
NEXT STEPS
Commissioners receive presentation and provide feedback to Chelsea Ruiz.
Page 9 of 25
Page 10 of 25
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS PRESENTATION
JULY 5, 2023
SLO CountyUndocuSupport W H O W E A R E & W H A T W E D O
An organizing entity that
provides and connects
resources, support and
advocacy for and with
undocumented and other
immigrant families in SLO
County in order to make
meaningful impact and
true system change.
Members of UndocuSupport's leadership team
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
$13,400 in direct aid will be disbursed to 3 local
organizations that serve undocumented SLO City residents
through UndocuSupport's fiscal agent, The Community
Foundation San Luis Obispo County.
Grantees will be officially notified on or after July 13, 2023.
D I R E C T A I D
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
In May 2023, UndocuSupport collaborated with three Title 1 elementary
schools in SLO City to conduct community listening sessions with each
school's English Language Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) to
identify barriers to accessing resources and community issues.
F O C U S G R O U P S
Service providers being trained on
focus group facilitation
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
Frequency an issue was brought up within a Focus Group
Intensity of feelings about an issue
NOT MEASURED:
L I M I T A T I O N S
SLO CountyUndocuSupport C H A L L E N G E S
Small Sample Size
The SLO City focus groups were part of a
larger county-wide focus group initiative.
This presentation primarily reports on the
findings of the SLO City subset of data
involving 26 of the 131 total participants.
Lack of Standardization
No standardized selection of themes for
participants to choose from. Themes were
extrapolated from notes taken. There was
also a lack of facilitator continuity among
2021-23 Focus Groups conducted.
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
Grouped
Themes
FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS
Focus groups
that mentioned
theme
Topics included
in Grouped
Theme
Affordable
Housing 3/3
Affordable Housing (3)
Access to credit (2)
Cost of living/ inflation (1)
Housing rights (1)
3/3Access to
Medical Care
3/3
M A J O R T H E M E S
(& Cost of Living)
Fear, Racism,
and/or Lack of
Representation
Fear (2)
Racism & Lack of
Representation (1)
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
2/3
2/3
Obtaining Identifying
Documents from
Mexican Consulate
1/3 Public Works
/ Amenities
0
(Unique to
Cambria and
Oceano)
0
Sexual Assault
& Partner
Violence
Mental
Health
1/3Child-related
issues
2/3
Safety & wellbeing (1)
Childcare (0)
Higher education
opportunities (0)
Dental
1/3
FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS CONTINUED
A D D I T I O N A L T H E M E S
Intimate Partner
Violence (1)
Sexual Assault (0)
Interpretation
services /
Language barriers
Worker Rights
& Climate
Change
Affordable housing
Access to affordable medical care, and
Fear, Racism and/or Lack of
Representation
Most frequently-mentioned themes:
These 3 topics were brought up independently
in all 3 SLO City focus groups which had a
total of 26 participants.
SLO CountyUndocuSupport S U M M A R Y O F T H E M E S
SLO CountyUndocuSupport M A J O R T H E M E : H O U S I N G & C O S T O F L I V I N G
“[A f f o r d a b l e h o u s i n g ] i s a h u g e i s s u e f o r u s . I t 's v e r y
s e r i o u s . I t ’s u n b e l i e v a b l e . W e w o r k i n t h e m o s t n e c e s s a r y
a n d e s s e n t i a l j o b s i n t h e c i t y , b u t w e c a n ’t a f f o r d t o l i v e i n
a p l a c e t h a t ’s c o m f o r t a b l e f o r o u r c h i l d r e n .”
-S a n L u i s O b i s p o C i t y , 2 0 2 1
"T h e y a s k f o r t r i p l e t h e r e n t ... W e m a k e m i n i m u m w a g e . W h e r e a r e
w e s u p p o s e d t o l i v e ?... [O u r f a m i l y w a s ] h o m e l e s s f o r a w h i l e ...
S o m e t i m e s y o u p a y r e n t a n d t h e r e g o e s a l l y o u r m o n e y , t h e n w h a t
a r e y o u g o i n g t o d o f o r t h e r e s t o f y o u r e x p e n s e s f o r t h e m o n t h ?"
-S a n L u i s O b i s p o C i t y , 2 0 2 1
Interpretation Services /
Language Barriers
Dental Care
Mental Health
The themes of:
were mentioned in 2 out of the 3
SLO City focus groups.
SLO CountyUndocuSupport S U M M A R Y O F T H E M E S
I N T E R C O N N E C T E D I S S U E SSLO CountyUndocuSupport
“In December, my [landlord] told me I had 3 months to move out. My mom had just gotten out of the
hospital after a month-long stay. It was just after Christmas, and we had all the hospital bills. I didn’t
know what we were going to do. The desperation of not having a roof over your children’s heads. I
became anxious and depressed. I developed tremors, and I didn’t know why. I’m under so much stress. I
have 4 kids and my ill mother who I care for. I bathe her, give her her medications. It’s truly so difficult...
It’s so expensive to move.... It was $3,000 rent and $3,000 deposit. But then they told me I had to pay
$6,000 for the deposit, and when I asked the reason they said, ‘Because it’s a business.’ A friend asked
me, “Are you ok?” And I said, “No, I’m not.” But we keep moving forward. And who am I going to ask to
borrow money from? None of us [Latinos/ no one in my network] have any money to lend…
I work caring for children in my home. If I don’t have a home, I don’t work… If it’s not one thing, it’s
another. I have 4 kids, and one is 2 years old. My house [looks] like an explosion. Coming to these
meetings... [I’m reminded that] my kids are normal. I’m not crazy... We shouldn’t stay silent. We should
look for help.” - San Luis Obispo City, 2023
Los Osos
Paso Robles
Cambria
San Miguel
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
San Luis Obispo
Completed
in 2023
Completed
2021-22
Oceano
ES
M
ES
M
ES
ES
ES
M
M
M
ES
Mixteco
Español
ES
ES
ES
ES
ES
A L L F O C U S G R O U P L O C A T I O N S
MICRO-COMMUNITIES
Focus Group Statistics
Total # Focus Groups Conducted --- 14
Grand Total # Participants --- 131
Total # Micro-communities Represented --- 7
Total # Spanish - speaking Participants --- 87
Total # Mixteco - speaking Participants --- 44
SLO CountyUndocuSupport O V E R V I E W O F A L L F I N D I N G S
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
Grouped
Themes
FOCUS GROUP FINDINGS
Focus groups
that mentioned
theme
Topics included
in Grouped
Theme
Housing and
Cost of Living 29
Affordable Housing (13)
Cost of living/ inflation (7)
Housing rights (5)
Access to credit (4)
11Medical
Interpretation
services /
Language barriers
M A J O R T H E M E S F O R A L L F O C U S G R O U P S
10
C A S E M A N A G E M E N T
I S N E E D E D
I N T E R P R E T A T I O N
I S E S S E N T I A L
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
R E L A T I O N S H I P -B U I L D I N G
I S P A R A M O U N T
F O C U S G R O U P T A K E -A W A Y S
SLO CountyUndocuSupport
Chelsea Ruiz
Program Manager
C: (801) 318-9478
UndocuSupport@cfsloco.org
C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E S W O R K S H O P SSLO CountyUndocuSupport
F U T U R E W O R K S H O P SSLO CountyUndocuSupport
F U N D E D T H R O U G H C E N C A L
A u g . -S a n M i g u e l (M i x t e c o )
S e p . - P a s o (M i x t e c o )
O c t . 5 - S e r v i c e -p r o v i d e r
t r a i n i n g
W e a r e r e t u r n i n g t o t h e c o m m u n i t i e s t o p r o v i d e i n f o r m a t i o n o n
r e s o u r c e s a n d t o p i c s t h a t w e r e i d e n t i f i e d a n d b e g i n t o b u i l d
n e i g h b o r h o o d c o a l i t i o n s o f l e a d e r s w h o c a n a d v o c a t e f o r t h e i r
n e i g h b o r h o o d s o n a b r o a d e r c o m m u n i t y l e v e l .
I M M I G R A N T S E R V I C E S G U I D ESLO CountyUndocuSupport
L i s t o f l o c a l
r e s o u r c e s t h a t
u n d o c u m e n t e d
i m m i g r a n t s i n t h e
S L O C o u n t y r e g i o n
a r e e l i g i b l e f o r .
A s s i s t s s e r v i c e -
p r o v i d i n g
a g e n c i e s , f a m i l y
m e m b e r s , a n d
c o m m u n i t y
a d v o c a t e s i n
m a k i n g r e f e r r a l s .