Housing

Housing available to low-income community members is frequently of poor quality.

Outsiders' Views

When asked what types of housing are present in Fuquay-Varina, one outsider replied, "From one million dollar houses to unheated shacks with holes in the walls." Many outsiders acknowledged that there are many up-scale homes and starter homes for young professionals but not enough affordable housing options for Fuquay-Varina residents. Improvements are being made, such as the construction of five new homes near the Early Learning Center that are considered affordable housing. Plans for a new housing development with mixed income homes are also being considered. Yet, change is slow, and these "affordable houses" under construction may not be accessible to certain groups in the community, such as very low-income or undocumented individuals.

The fact that some landlords take advantage of their Latino renters was a recurring theme in four of the interviews with outsiders. Language and legal status were often mentioned as the primary reasons for this injustice. One outsider described what she had witnessed occurring in the Latino community by saying, "There's a need for better housing for less money. Abusive landlords rent rat holes to Hispanics, old mobile homes with holes and no heaters." She told a story about a family that lived in a sub-standard trailer. People from a local church volunteered to fix up the trailer. Once they had finished, the landlord raised the rent from $400 a month to $700 a month, because the trailer was now in better condition. One outsider stated, "I think Latinos are the least likely to complain because they live in fear. There may be a language barrier or they may not have papers." Another stated, "Landlords don't care; they know they can find somebody else to take [the renters'] place if they move out."

If the tenants are undocumented, then they are not likely to complain about their living conditions, because they fear deportation, which puts them in a more vulnerable position. One outsider who works with housing issues mentioned that she was unfamiliar with the rights of undocumented immigrants; she thought that they might get deported if they made any complaints and if the police were involved. If a service provider who works with housing issues is unclear about the laws and rights of tenants, regardless of legal status, then it is logical to assume that the tenants themselves might be uncertain and therefore fearful.

One common occurrence mentioned by several outsiders was that many Latinos "double-up" in single-family dwellings, meaning that more than one family lives in one residence. This living situation likely violates the housing standard set by each city that limits the number of people per room. Some of the service providers demonstrated an understanding of why many Latinos live together. One outsider who provides services related to housing said, "There's 12,000 doubled-up families in Wake County because people can't afford the rent. It's not a cultural thing. Latinos don't want to live like that. If you have fewer choices for housing then you have to choose a situation that is sub-optimal." Other service providers mentioned a further dilemma: the quantity of people living in one dwelling might lead landlords to neglect needed repairs. It is assumed that the more people that live in one dwelling, the more damage they will cause. Some landlords purposefully allow several tenants to live in one dwelling, as long as the renters do not complain about poor living conditions or about repairs needed. In this manner, the tenants are essentially forced to remain silent.

Three outsiders who are members of the larger Fuquay-Varina community also expressed the need for more affordable housing in Fuquay-Varina, including houses, apartments, and low-income housing. A member of the African-American community said that she thought that Latinos might not feel welcome in the predominantly African-American sections of Fuquay-Varina, because "the rental signs are not posted in both English and Spanish, and there seems to be a lack of trust between landlords and the Latino community members."

A few outsiders feel that housing issues are being addressed in the community. They focused on the revitalization occurring in the traditionally African-American part of town, in which old homes are being refurbished, and on the construction of new housing sub-divisions and apartments. These developments give some outsiders a positive outlook on the situation. As one outsider put it, "Housing is okay. There's no slums and there's been improvement in the Black community." Many also mentioned the Housing Resource Center in Raleigh as a resource that can provide community members with "information on rentals," and is "supposed to be a one-stop housing place." The SRC provides information to the community from the Housing Resource Center as well.

Insiders' Views

Housing conditions were mentioned in almost all the insiders' interviews as one of the biggest challenges facing Latinos in Fuquay-Varina. One woman described the situation as one of fear by Latinos who cannot communicate with their landlords due to the language barrier. She continued by saying, "There are a lot of requirements for housing; sometimes it's better to find someplace where it's not so strict." It is especially difficult for women to find housing because of language barriers and lack of transportation. In general, language is a barrier when one is acquiring housing initially, and then it arises later when trying to communicate with the landlord.

Another insider commented that many Latinos have to live together because the wages they earn are low. He reported that "up to seven people can live in a trailer in order to save money and be able to send money home to their families. It's difficult to pay the rent by yourself." He went on to explain how difficult it was for Latinos, especially those who are undocumented, to rent an apartment, obtain a telephone line, and get the utilities turned on without someone else to co-sign the lease.

One focus group participant shared a story of what happened when she and her family were looking for a place to live. The landowner had sold a large trailer park where they resided and had given all the residents, the majority of whom were Latino, two months to vacate. Most people were forced to abandon their trailers, because the trailers they owned were relatively old and thus were not permitted in many of the other trailer parks in the area. Knowing that they would be looking for an apartment soon, she and her husband made many sacrifices and took on second jobs in order to qualify for a rental. When they applied for a subsidized apartment, they were turned down because they no longer met the eligibility criteria for income. The woman was very frustrated and did not understand why she did not qualify. Although they were told that their income was now too high to qualify for low-income housing, they could not afford to pay for a regular apartment unless they both continued working 80 hours a week and placed their children in daycare, an additional expense. This example demonstrates a lack of awareness among Latinos about housing options and eligibility requirements for certain types of housing.

In many interviews conducted with insiders, the lack of awareness of housing options, renters' rights, and high cost of rent were recurring issues. Some insiders discussed that Latinos are always left with the worst housing options. Many mentioned that landlords know that their Latino renters will not complain; therefore, they refuse to maintain an adequate environment or improve the current living conditions. Some Latinos also have the notion that if they were to complain, the landlord would not do anything. Sometimes other misinformed Latinos will tell recent arrivals not to complain because they might get deported. One focus group participant added, "People are scared because they think they can't get anything better or do anything to fix the problem. They don't know their rights, that they have the same rights as Caucasians and African-Americans." Insiders also reported that there are landlords who rent to undocumented Latinos under the condition that they do not ask for anything (i.e., repairs).

Comparison

For the most part, both outsiders and insiders agree that the lack of affordable housing is a problem faced by many community members, including Latinos. There is much more variety among the outsiders' views regarding housing, however. Although some outsiders perceive that language and legal status place Latinos in a vulnerable position when renting trailers, houses, or apartments, others are not aware of this predicament. Neither outsiders nor insiders seem to be aware of individuals' rights concerning living conditions, especially the rights of those who are undocumented. This lack of information often leads to misunderstanding on both sides, as well as the fear of eviction or deportation for the insiders.

Transportation

Youth