Myth 4
Immigrants have a negative impact on property safety.
Ultimately, when immigrants find their way onto a property, they often face distinct safety challenges. Newspapers are chock full of stories such as that of Pineda and his wife. For instance, in early May, the Miami Herald reported the story of Arcenio Garcia. A man knocked on Garcia’s apartment door, showed him a police badge, and asked him and his roommates to hand over their money. If they didn’t, the “officer” threatened to call immigration.
This happens frequently, and Hispanic residents are all too aware of the risks. “There are gang members assaulting and robbing people,” says Gustavo Restrepo, 39, who lives in the Las Colinas Apartments in Marietta, Ga. Through a translator, Restrepo tells how his family, which came to the United States from Colombia four years ago, is afraid in their neighborhood. “[The gangs] know Latinos get paid cash; that’s when they target them.”
While traditional banking would help assuage these patterns, many Hispanic immigrants avoid cashing checks and establishing bank accounts. “In their country, they don’t trust their banks,” says Angela Smith, southern regional manager for The Comunidades Group. “When they come here, it’s the same scenario.”
The Pew Hispanic Center reports that 8 million Latino immigrants in the country lack access to bank accounts. Often, they’re walking to places such as Western Union with hundreds of dollars in their pockets to send back home. According to a survey by the Inter-American Development Bank, 50 percent of the 16.7 million foreign-born Latinos living in the United States last year sent $45.9 billion back home, the same dollar amount as two years ago. And this makes them a target.
“In addition to walking with $500 in cash on Friday after getting paid, they won’t call the police if you [steal] their money,” says the anonymous apartment owner in Miami. “They fear the police will send them home. So, you have two powerful incentives to commit a crime.”
This fear is deep-rooted in the Hispanic population, experts say. “Many come from countries where the police and military are corrupt and brutal,” says Rabbi Bruce E. Kahn, executive director of the Equal Rights Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that combats discriminatory practices. “When they see officials or people in uniform, they experience terror.”
Indeed, the fear of reporting such incidents means there is little data to support the anecdotal claims of high crime that plague the Hispanic immigrant community. Many times, residents are just as unlikely to report these problems to their management companies, which are often seen as another authority figure. That’s a problem, considering that economic pressures often force immigrants into older units that may have structural issues property managers should be aware of.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2005 American Housing Survey, 341,000 housing units inhabited by Hispanics have severe physical problems, while another 732,000 units have moderate physical problems. Of the Hispanic-occupied units with severe issues, 184,000 have two or more floors; 334,000 units with moderate problems are in multi-unit properties.
If the residents would open the door to the property manager, some of these issues could be eliminated. But they may fear authorities or the possibility of being evicted, especially in overcrowding situations (many municipalities have legislation against overcrowding). “When they complain, we’ve seen problems with landlords threatening to call immigration,” says Anabell Martinez, a housing paralegal with the Central American Resource Center in Washington, D.C. “Even if they have their documents, they’re often too scared to complain.”
But when the immigrant has a reputable apartment owner, this fear can cause serious problems. “We have Hispanic residents who don’t speak English or are uncomfortable coming into the office,” says Eric Bolton, CEO of Mid-America Apartment Communities, a Memphis, Tenn.-based REIT that owns 41,120 units. “They may have a problem like a leak, and they’re reluctant to point it out to us. We only find out about it subsequent to it becoming a major issue.”
There are also some dangers inherent in overcrowding situations. “Overcrowding of a living space can promote germ and bacterial growth,” Akins says. “It also tends to wear on the plumbing of a unit because of overuse, which can result in leaks and mold growth. The one thing I am concerned about is safety and sanitation with so many people in those units.”
