Tag Archives: Housing

Help Increase Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccines

Take action today by keeping your community informed and safe with the COVID-19 vaccine, public health guidelines, and relief efforts! Our network partners have been engaging in community outreach and education on accessing COVID-19 relief and vaccinations and are looking for community members who can help others schedule their vaccine appointments, provide in-language services, and combat vaccine misinformation and myths. Check out some of the campaigns below that highlight volunteer opportunities:

Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon has complied a list of compiled BIPOC specific clinics in Oregon. Help a neighbor schedule their vaccine appointment at apano.org/vaccine-info

Center for Pan Asian Community Services – Help beat COVID-19 by continuing to social distance and getting vaccinated! By following these tips, you can help keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy. Help others find the nearest vaccine location near them at www.vaccines.gov. 

As communities of color have been the most devastated by COVID-19, Filipino Advocates for Justice have been outreaching to Alameda County (California) voters and nonvoters to provide in-language accessibility to ensure that our communities are getting the assistance they deserve. There have been deep inequities in COVID-19 vaccine rollout and this outreach program aims to inform our communities of their options and give them access and assistance in getting vaccinated.

Freedom Inc – With the potential for a spike in evictions this summer as the eviction moratorium expires, Madison Tenant Power and Freedom Inc. are pairing up to raise funds to help folks stay in their homes or find new, better housing! These funds will be used for security deposits and other critical housing funds so that more of our community members to have safe housing for themselves and their families. Funds will be distributed by Freedom Inc. Please give as generously as you can, and please share the campaign!

If you live in Fresno or Sacramento County, please join Hmong Innovating Politics’ Hmong COVID-19 Vaccine Network. HIP knows that trying to track down a COVID-19 vaccine has been difficult for so many in our community and they are committed to helping you and your family get vaccinated and navigate the various steps in order to get there. Watch HIP’s COVID-19 Summer Updates video here.

North Carolina Asian Americans Together NCAAT wants to hear from community members in North Carolina! They are looking for folks who have had any experiences and/or issues (Mental health, stigma, financial issues, racism/xenophobia, or others) with accessing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic that identify as an Asian American from an underserved group in North Carolina. NCAAT’s goal is to gather disaggregated data in the form of your experiences that will lead to us having the necessary and improved data to advocate for more resources and funding. 

VietLead – It is important that our community have adequate access to the COVID-19 vaccine. VietLead’s Health team is really excited to help bring the vaccine and vaccine education to our community in language! VietLead is in need of volunteers to do phonebanking. We need YOU to help with vaccine outreach this summer, in order to debunk myths about the vaccine and share information about how to get it through our pharmacy partners. Sign up to volunteer here!

 

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Restoration of COFA Medicaid Access in COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

AAPI community leaders have praised the passage of the coronavirus relief bill (December 2020) that includes Medicaid access for Pacific Islanders, specifically for the Compact of Free Association (COFA) communities (citizens of the Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia) that have been most impacted by COVID-19. This is a historic decision would revise and fix a drafting mistake from the 1996 welfare reform bill that excluded health care from Medicaid for the COFA community. 

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) released a statement applauding the restoration of COFA Medicaid access in the stimulus bill. Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), said: “Medicaid restoration has been a decades long fight, one that began at the moment of exclusion. I’m grateful to the COFA leaders who’ve been some of the most impacted by COVID-19 and continue to be at the helm of caring for our communities.” Read NCAPA’s full statement here.

HEROES Act for COVID-19 Relief

HEROES Act: The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act (HEROES Act) responds to the current COVID-19 outbreak and its continual financial and public health impacts on our communities, individuals and businesses across the country. Passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on May 15th, 2020, this bill would supplement the previous CARES Act stimulus package by providing $3 trillion of emergency funding to support families, essential workers, and small businesses. The HEROES Act would provide another round of stimulus checks to eligible Americans, continue expanded unemployment benefits, extend and expand the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and provides funding and establishes requirements for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing among other things. This act also includes a proposal to fund states to provide equal access to the ballot box by giving every eligible voter the opportunity to participate in safe and accessible elections. 

As of August 31, 2020, this bill has not been passed by the U.S. Senate or signed into law. However, given the scope of this legislation, NCAPA has outlined some of the most important parts to note for the AAPI community. Email your Senators & tell them #HEALSNo and #PassHEROESAct already passed by the House, which provides relief for the unemployed, renters, frontline workers & doesn’t leave out immigrants! The pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-income communities and communities of color. We need COVID-19 relief and we need it NOW. Tell the Senate to #PassHEROESAct