For decades, social and economic inequality has been building in the U.S., but experts say the pandemic “ripped it open”– from food to housing, healthcare to small businesses. Day-to-day stresses challenge all age groups to find reliable coping mechanisms. - People without homes continue to struggle. Most local homeless people are not transients; 76% were residents in the county before they became homeless. One in eight children in Santa Barbara County is considered homeless, one of the highest rates in California. To afford housing, renters must earn $35.81 per hour, more than double the minimum wage. Investing in finding people homes pays off: for every $1 spent in providing housing, $6 is saved in emergency medical, law enforcement, and social services.
- Mental health concerns are more acute. Adults, particularly women, have reported symptoms of a higher level of anxiety as a result of the pandemic. The American Academy of Pediatrics has declared a “national emergency in children’s mental health.” Four in 10 adults report symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder.
- Remote education has created obstacles, as well as social and emotional issues, that all learners, from grade-schoolers to graduate students, have to overcome. School officials report learning loss in math and English language acquisition, and a 10% drop in testing at grade level. The unemployment rate for someone without a high school diploma is almost three times that of someone with a bachelor’s degree.
- The pandemic has compounded problems in a health care system that has persistent socio-economic gaps in access to affordable coverage and care. In addition to cost concerns, persons of all ages have delayed medical care during COVID, due to canceled appointments, cutbacks in transportation, fear of going to the ER, or an altruistic desire to not be a burden on the health care system. Despite nearly equal rates of insurance, women are 64% more likely to forego care due to costs than are men.
- Food insecurity is one area of need we continue to hear about. In Santa Barbara County, 21% of residents experience food insecurity compared to the national average of 10.5%. This need has been exacerbated by unemployment and the closing of facilities where congregate, low-cost meals were made available pre-pandemic. Food insecurity affects physical AND mental health.
Women’s Fund members will consider all this information this month, leading up to the March 26th deadline for voting. |
