Latino advocates urge Biden and Trump to make affordable housing a priority

Ahead of Thursday's debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the organization UnidosUS is reminding both candidates of the proposals Latinos want to hear in response to their concerns about the cost of living, wages, and housing, among others.

The demographic, on track to reach 20% of the U.S. population, has an estimated voting projection for November at a "record" 17.5 million Hispanic voters, making Latinos the second largest group of U.S. citizens of voting age.

"Hispanic voters will be a decisive factor in 2024, and with 1 in 5 voting in a presidential election for the first time, significant outreach is imperative," said Clarissa Martínez De Castro, vice president of the Latino Vote Initiative at UnidosUS.

"To win their votes, candidates need to make a serious approach with a clear picture of how their plans align with these voters' priorities," she added as cited by an article in La Opinion.

Most U.S. voters plan to watch this presidential debate hosted by CNN in its Atlanta studios, the debate is slated to start at 9 p.m. ET with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash as moderators, according to recent polls.

New and younger Latino voters, who comprise 20% of all Hispanic eligible voters, are poised to play a pivotal role in the 2024 election cycle. They tend to be much more undecided than their counterparts, as revealed by a UnidosUS 2023's from BSP Research for UnidosUS.

When asked what the most pressing issues are that candidates should address after the November elections, 55% of Latinos chose inflation and the rising cost of living, followed by jobs and the economy (43%), health care (31%), crime and gun violence (29%), lack of affordable housing/high rents (24%), and immigration and the border (21%).

The survey also highlighted the key role of newer Latino voters, who are said to represent about 20% of this group and tend to be more undecided or independent than older Latinos.

According to the survey, they are 14% less likely to identify as Democrats (45%) than more established voters (59%). They are also five points less likely to identify as Republicans (18%) than more established voters (23%).

Their issue agenda does not vary appreciably from that of more established voters except on the importance of health care. This suggests their potential drift is not issue-based but rather based on their views of the parties as institutions, according to UnidosUS.

Most Latinos have high mortgage debt burdens, with young people experiencing especially high mortgage debt levels, according to UnidosUS' Latino Banking and Financial Health Survey.

Fifty-nine percent of respondents have $100,000 or more in mortgage debt. This share rises from 53% for those aged 40 and over to 81% for those between the ages of 25 and 39.

Regarding the border, a new UnidosUS poll found that Hispanic voters overwhelmingly prioritize cracking down on human traffickers, coyotes, and drug traffickers (82%) and, in particular, providing a pathway to citizenship for long-term undocumented immigrants (62%).

Meanwhile, concerning crime and gun violence, the focus is on gun violence, which emerged as one of the top five priorities in 2022 and remains there today.