Thirty Second Commercial: UNTENABLE ESCALATING CRISIS

The U.S. Census indicates that 18% of New Jersey's population is now Latino. The Latino population in NJ faces numerous socio-economic obstacles that bar them from accessing all of the services that the state provides. Twenty-nine percent of Hispanics in NJ do not have health insurance. Approximately thirty-five percent (35%) of Hispanics 17 and younger are under the poverty rate and increasing at a rate of 17% a year. Eighty two percent of Hispanics speak Spanish at home. Latinos have much lower incomes & earnings in NJ & the median gross rent accounted for a much larger proportion of a Hispanic household's income than that of all renters.

Nevertheless, as our numbers grow, Hispanics are quickly becoming a significant consumer market, the crucial and most quickly growing source of labor, and an increasingly important block of voters. Hispanics have become an increasingly powerful voting block at the state and local level. We are one of the best-organized communities in this State. Every year we are involved in voter registration and education campaigns, and, are considered by many, the potential swing vote for close elections. It behooves elected officials and policy makers to pay closer attention to us.

Latinos are a major constituency in New Jersey and we are asking you to support our efforts to make sure that the Latino community is not further adversely affected in the FY 2012 Budget.

The FY 2011 Budget reduced resources for programs servicing Latinos by an appalling sixty-nine percent (69%). Programs, such as the Hispanic Women Resource Centers, and various programs within the Department of Human Services, were completely eliminated.

Additionally, funding for programs targeting Latinos in the Department of Children and Families was reduced by 50 percent. All of these cuts have had a devastating effect on those most vulnerable in the Latino Community, and have created a massive hole in the Latino community's safety net.

The Hispanic Directors Association of New Jersey (HDANJ) will continue to mobilize numerous Hispanic organizations, major constituent groups, and key stakeholders to make Legislative Leaders from both parties and the Christie Administration aware of the affect the cuts for Hispanic services are having on our community. HDANJ also requests the administration and legislature immediately to take action and restore funding in the FY2012 budget to FY 2010 funding levels.

The Hispanic Directors Association brings together Hispanic-led community service agencies from across New Jersey. Our member organizations serve and improve the lives of 500,000 mostly low-income families, with diverse services including front-line crisis intervention services, family strengthening programs, preschool education, after school programs, home energy assistance, and weatherization, housing assistance, employment training and mental and primary health services. Although HDANJ agencies serve all people in need and each agency maintains full bicultural and bilingual services and staff, our approach makes us unique in our ability to work with front-line crisis intervention and to strengthen families ranging from native-born of all races to recent immigrants, whose primary language is often Spanish.

Only unrestricted funds were used to produce this video.

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News & Politics

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• HDANJ
• Latino community
• Latino programs
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• educational
• politics