Happy Fourth of July!

Celebrating NAHREP familia, cultura, politics, and grassroots action

Que onda mi gente?!

We are officially HALFWAY through 2020! Speaking of parties, I want to wish all my beautiful NAHREP familia a happy 4th of July this weekend. While we are all celebrating I implore you to be safe. I read a post on Instagram that said “just because you’re over it, doesn’t mean the virus is over.” I know we’re all frustrated, I know that businesses opening up is making life feel like it’s back to normal, and we so desperately want it to be back to normal. But the reality is, it is not.

Our COVID-19 numbers are spiking at an alarming rate. The daily rate of new infections in the state of Texas is higher than the daily rate of new infections in Italy when they were at the epicenter of the world’s pandemic. I know we are all concerned about the economy and our wellbeing. I’m concerned about the economic toll this year will have on Latino families’ household wealth. However, there is only one thing that will help the economy: a true handle on the pandemic. Everything else will be a bunch of Band-Aids. The Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell recently stated, “a full recovery is unlikely until people are confident that it is safe to re-engage in a broad range of activities.” That’s never going to happen if we simply pretend the virus is over.

So mi gente, when you’re out celebrating this 4th of July weekend, remember:

1. Outside is better than inside.
2. Wear a mask. It saves lives.
3. Think small gatherings and avoid crowds.
4. If you’re having a carne asada and inviting the family over, make it a BYO-everything.

NAHREP Landlord Survey is out and we need your help to spread the word

You might have already be in the know about this, but NAHREP has partnered with the U.C. Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation to design a survey that will support the creation of a rental protection program. The intent is to prop up small landlords through the pandemic while also helping tenants hard hit by the crisis. The survey takes no more than 2 minutes. If you don’t own rental properties, some of your clients likely will. Sharing the survey with them can be a great way to engage your clients as we all work collectively to advocate on behalf of our community.

Call me a nerd, but I get excited by filling out surveys and the Census because I know just how important the information collected is to influencing public policy, research and public opinion. I was selected to take the Census Bureau’s COVID-19 Household Pulse survey the other day and I immediately texted my partners in crime Jaimie Smeraski and Christa Murillo like a girl who just got free fancy wine in the mail.

#NAHREPVOTES launches a new social media campaign

The November election is right around the corner. And, as Latinos, we approach election season as a celebration, kind of like “las fiestas” in Latin America. It’s a season of celebration. So for the month of July, we’re going to be filling social media with all of your beautiful faces, telling the world, why we vote. So while you are celebrating the 4th from a socially distance this weekend, make sure you film a quick 60 second or less video of yourself telling us why you vote. This challenge will last the entire month of July so tag three of your friends to pass it on. Be sure to tag NAHREP and use the hashtags #whyivote and #nahrepvotes.

What: 60 second video (or less!) sharing why voting is important to you. Tag three of your friends to complete the challenge.

Where: Post your own social media! Use the hashtags #NAHREPVOTES #whyivote

When: July 1 – July 31, start now to get the campaign rolling!

Why: To encourage our NAHREP familia and their networks to get registered and to vote. It’s just so important.

Let’s do this mi gente. Help us share the NAHREP Landlord Survey, tell us why you vote, and help our familia stay safe by wearing a mask this weekend. Happy 4th!

Un abrazo.