New HUD Regulatory Actions Help Low-Income Homeowners



The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently announced changes to its Distressed Asset Stabilization Program (DASP), which brings relief to families with severely delinquent home mortgages. The program, part of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), would allow those that qualify to reduce their principal loan amount. Housing is well understood to be an important factor of physical and mental health and well-being. Certain families with distressed mortgages could soon be eligible for a reduction of their outstanding loan amounts as part of the new regulations. Families that pay excessive amounts of their monthly and/or yearly income for housing often have insufficient funding remaining for other needs, such as food, medical insurance, and preventative ...

Read More

New Housing Plan Looks to Aid Austin’s Latinos



Austin, Texas (34.83% Latino population) is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. It is a rich and diverse city, complete with a thriving economy that has attracted a large number of new residents. According to data from the Internal Revenue Service, the total household income these new residents bring is $2,359,803,000. With this new growth comes changes; for many long-time residents of the city, these changes have them concerned. A local community group is now looking to bring light to the challenges faced by the city’s established Latino community. Gilbert Rivera is a longtime East Austin resident and president of the Rosewood Neighborhood Contact Team, a group of residents and property owners in the Rosewood neighborhood of Austin invested in the development and ...

Read More

LULAC Hosts Latinos Living Healthy Festival



In November, over 2,300 people attended the League of United Latin American Citizens’ (LULAC) Latinos Living Healthy: Feria de Salud in Brownsville, Texas. A variety of free health care services were offered to the festival’s attendees including diabetes screenings, blood pressure screenings, as well screenings for HIV and cholesterol. Attendees were also offered free flu shots, dental checkups, and mental health consultations. Children participated in numerous interactive events, including basketball drills, a hula hoop contest, and a healthy images art project. Local food vendors also provided free samples of local, fresh fruit to encourage healthier eating habits. This was the first time the festival was held in Brownsville, which is a city, according to LULAC, in which nearly ...

Read More

New EPA Regulations Benefit Latino Farm Workers



The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled new strict rules that protect farm workers from hazardous pesticides, Fox Health reports. The new rules will benefit an estimated 2 million workers, mostly Latinos who work at or near farms, forests, nurseries and greenhouses. “We depend on farm workers every day... they deserve fair, equitable working standards with strong health and safety protections," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said in a statement. Under the new regulations children under 18 are “prohibited from handling pesticides; training on pesticide protections is required annually instead of once every five years; expanded postings of no-entry signs on fields treated with hazardous pesticides are required; and improvements in personal protection ...

Read More

Latinas and Breast Cancer: “Should I Worry?”



Margaret Moran, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), explored the often-frightening term "breast cancer" among Hispanics in a recent Huffington Post article. She notes that, even though Latinas have lower breast cancer rates, they are screened less and are diagnosed at later disease stages. Breast cancer is alos the most-diagnosed cancer among Latinas. When I was a young girl, we didn't talk about breast cancer. Now, we must not only talk about it, but be sure that all women have access to proper screenings and treatments. We need to ensure that Hispanic women have the knowledge and medical care to put an end to this disease. Breast cancer affects everyone, not just the person diagnosed. Likewise, everyone needs to do their part to minimize the risks ...

Read More

WEBINAR: Marketing & Latino Youth on July 7



Hispanic and Latino youth face unique issues when it comes to the obesity epidemic. Among the concerns is that food and beverage companies appear to aggressively market to Hispanic youth. Examples include a recent report that many fast-food companies target Hispanic kids via Spanish-language TV and radio, and companies like McDonald's "meencanta.com" website use Internet gaming to target Hispanics. That’s why PreventObesity.net is partnering with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to offer a webinar look at this trend, specifically studying how proposed food marketing principles recently unveiled by the Federal Trade Commission and other agencies could affect Hispanic youth. The free ...

Read More