Immigrant survivors of gender-based violence, an already-vulnerable population among the hardest hit by COVID-19, also shoulder the burden of the Bay Area’s housing crisis. If a survivor loses her job because of COVID-19, she is forced to live paycheck to paycheck and may not be able to save enough money just to pay rent.
Immigrant survivors are often only able to secure informal housing arrangements, which can mean they are not even listed on a lease agreement for housing in our community. Even though the Bay Area put critical eviction moratoriums in place, immigrant survivors who are not formally listed on leases are at a great disadvantage in trying to seek protection.
Fear of losing shelter, coupled with the possibility of losing employment, exacerbates the trauma immigrant survivors have already experienced trying to seek asylum and safety. We must ensure that any policy includes the most vulnerable in the Bay Area.
Morgan WeibelExecutive directorTahirih Justice Center’s Bay Area officeSan Bruno
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