Since 2020, the purposes of the annual Silicon Valley Pain Index [SVPI] reports are to: (1) Provide an efficient, easily digestible, statistical overview of structured inequalities to inform policy and practice in “Silicon Valley.” (2) Serve to measure Santa Clara County’s performance as a “human rights county,” which it declared in 2018. They show that the wealth gap between White households and Black and Latino communities is widening at an unprecedented rate, and the trends shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Page: Home
Home Page
SCC Launches 988 Phone Number Dedicated to Crisis Mental Health Services
7/15/22 The lifeline, similar to 911, is staffed 24 hours a day, every day, and provides compassionate support to those having a mental health or substance use crisis
The service is free, anonymous, and confidential, with no information shared unless in-person dispatch is required. Calls to 988 are routed by area code; if the phone used does not have a 408, 650 or 669 area code, the Santa Clara County service can be accessed by calling 1-800-704-0900 and pressing 1. The same 800 number can be used for non-emergency calls to County Behavioral Health Services regarding general mental health and substance use treatment services information and referrals. Multi-Language: interpretation is available in more than 200 languages.
Tenant Power Tool Kit
We are in this together. This is how it works:
You answer some questions about your eviction and debt situation. We help you fight your eviction and your rent debt, link you with legal resources and tenants’ rights groups, and our housing justice work including collective action campaigns.
Multi-language: SPANISH
The Missing Link: Connecting Eligible Asylees and Asylum Seekers with Benefits and Services
Multiple options exist under current law to improve asylees’ links to the benefits and services for which they are eligible, as this report explores, and doing so would help support asylees’ well-being and integration. The U.S. communities in which they live would also reap benefits from these investments as asylees upskill to meet staffing shortages, contribute to local economies, and become active members of their communities.
CA First To Cover Health Care For All Undocumented Immigrants
7/1/22 California on Thursday became the first state to guarantee free health care for all low-income immigrants living in the country illegally, a move that will provide coverage for an additional 764,000 people at an eventual cost of about $2.7 billion a year. Key Words: undocumented
California makes history with food benefits for undocumented residents
6/28/22 California will become the first state to provide undocumented residents over age 55 with state-subsidized food assistance benefits. On Sunday night, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an agreement on the 2022-2023 state budget, which includes $35.2 million in funding to expand the California Food Assistance Program to low-income people 55 years and older, regardless of immigration status; the funding is expected to increase to $113.4 million annually in 2025-26
:
Santa Clara County leaders want office to track hate crimes
6/5/22 The Board of Supervisors recently directed county workers to come up with a plan for implementing dozens of recommendations for addressing hate crimes. This would include developing a reporting system for hate-based incidents and making data about these incidents more transparent to the public. The board also asked for more details about the creation of a new county office that would receive and track reports of hate incidents and crimes. The San Jose Police Department reported 116 hate crimes in 2021, compared to 89 in 2020 and 33 in 2019. This is part of a broader pattern in California where the overall number of hate crimes increased from 1,015 in 2019 to 1,330 in 2020.
Biden signs bill to create commission studying AAPI museum
6/13/22 President Joe Biden on Monday signed “H.R. 3525″or the “Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act” into law, telling those assembled at the East Room of the White House that generations of AAPI individuals “have literally shaped the history and the contours of this country.”
Immigration reform could prevent food prices from harming consumers
6/3/22 Our national security is tied to our ability to feed ourselves. As former officials who served in the Bush administration, we see an urgent need to address the labor shortage in the agricultural industry by fixing our immigration system. That would allow farmworkers to contribute to the economy free from uncertainty and fear and keep food on the tables of America’s families at lower costs.
Understanding the Impact of Extreme Heat Events
3/28/22 The Los Angeles Times recently published an article detailing the impact of heat-related deaths in California and found that extreme heat caused approximately 3,900 deaths in California over the past decade”that is six times more than the state’s official count. Even so, extreme heat receives substantially less awareness than other disasters, despite killing more Americans each year than wildfires, hurricanes, and floods.
Drowning just below the surface: The socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic
11/22/21 The COVID-19 pandemic has had major economic, as well as health, impacts on every nation in the world. It has amplified existing inequalities, created new ones, and destabilized communities”reversing development gains made in recent decades.
The enormous socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 are wide-ranging and have not affected everyone equally. Throughout this pandemic, those facing the greatest vulnerabilities have been the people and groups most neglected by society”those who were already drowning just below the surface. Multi-language:
Spanish |
Arabic |
French |
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Debt Collection Rule
11/30/21 Understand how the CFPB’s Debt Collection Rule can help you. On November 30, 2021, the Debt Collection Rule became effective. The rule clarifies how debt collectors can communicate with you, including what information they’re required to provide you.
The importance of race, gender, and religion in naturalization adjudication in the US
3/1/22 This study examines group disparities in naturalization approvals by race/ethnicity, gender, and religion. We find that all else being equal, non-White applicants and Hispanic applicants are less likely to be approved than non-Hispanic White applicants, male applicants are less likely to be approved than female applicants, and applicants from Muslim-majority countries are less likely to be approved than applicants from other countries. In addition, we find that race/ethnicity, gender, and religion combine to produce a certain group hierarchy in terms of approval probabilities. For example, Blacks from Muslim-majority countries are much less likely to be approved than Whites from other countries. These findings underscore the continuing importance of race, gender, and religion in the making of US citizens.
Overtime Pay: Why Are Farmworkers Excluded?
2/10/22 Last week, the New York State Wage Board passed three resolutions that will finally provide overtime for farmworkers working for more than 40 hours a week. The resolutions also delineate a ten-year phase-in to ratchet down from the current 60-hour-a-week threshold to 40 hours. Immediately after the announcement, the New York Farm Bureau and other farmer-aligned organizations began rallying Governor Hochul for a reversal.
Until last week, farmworkers were part of a very slim subsection of workers in New York State who lack overtime pay after 40 hours. No other industry as large as agriculture has maintained the restriction of such a basic worker right.
2022 SF LANGUAGE ACCESSCOMPLIANCE SUMMARY REPORT
2/22 This year’s LAO report features direct feedback from community members via a comprehensive Language Access Community Survey conducted in 11 languages from June-September 2021 by OCEIA, in partnership with the IRC and the Language Access Network of San Francisco (LANSF). Survey results from over 2,000 City residents demonstrate that even with a clear commitment, a strong local language access law, and extraordinary efforts by emergency, public health and other City departments, not everyone was able to access the same information and services at the same time during a major public health crisis.
Health Equity Considerations & Racial & Ethnic Minority Groups
Health equity is when all members of society enjoy a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. Public health policies and programs centered around the specific needs of communities can promote health equity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. It has highlighted that health equity is still not a reality as COVID-19 has unequally affected many racial and ethnic minority groups, putting them more at risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19. Multi-language: Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Korean |
Social determinants of health (SDOH)
The Complex Motivations and Costs of Central American Migration
11/21 Conducted in Spring 2021 amid the economic instability and changing migration policies brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, these surveys capture a snapshot of migration decision-making during a particularly dynamic period and point to important opportunities for regional collaboration. The report is the result of collaboration between MPI, the UN World Food Programme, and the Civic Data Design Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Biden Vastly Expands “Protected Areas” Where ICE Can’t Arrest Immigrants
10/28/21 Starting this week, the number of places where immigration enforcement officials are not allowed to arrest people is growing. The Biden administration issued a new policy Wednesday that directs agents to stay away from playgrounds, domestic violence shelters, healthcare facilities, public demonstrations, disaster response centers, and other locations.
The new “protected areas” policy
went into effect immediately and supersedes all previous guidance for what used to be called “sensitive locations.”
Older undocumented immigrants to get Medi-Cal health care in CA
6/30/21 California plans to extend Medi-Cal health coverage to some 235,000 low-income undocumented immigrants over the age of 50 – offering the most expansive health coverage in the nation to people without legal residency.
The state already offers Medi-Cal health care to immigrant children and young adults under the age of 26. This latest expansion, once it receives final approval, will mean that many undocumented immigrants, except those who are 26 to 50, will be eligible.
Free Summer Meals for ALL Children & Youth 18 and Under
6/26/22 Free meals are available to ALL kids ages 18 and under this summer, with no registration required! Second Harvest of Silicon Valley has launched a site locator on its website. Families can enter their locations using their address, city, or zip code. Icons pop up on a map where summer meal sites are located and when users click on the icon, they see all the information needed, including location details, mealtimes and contact information.
School meal programs are not subject to Public Charge.
Multi-language:
Spanish |
Vietnamese |
Chinese |
Tagalog |
Farsi |
Russian |
Arabic |
French |
Italian |
German |
Dutch |
Key Words: School