Bags of groceries for those in need at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National
Bags of groceries for those in need at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National
Bags of groceries for those in need at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National
Bags of groceries for those in need at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National

Fear of eviction and hunger grip America’s poor during pandemic


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

Selena Martinez sits in her cramped bedroom in south-east Washington, DC. The small room where she and her children sleep at night has been transformed into a classroom during the day, with peeling posters on the walls showing numbers and the alphabet.

In one hand, Ms Martinez wrestles with a tablet. With the other, she tries to herd her two young children, Natalie, 4, and Mateo, 3, back to online school.

In the other room, her mother watches television as she waits for her work shift to start.

This is how they spend their days, for now, but Ms Martinez is not sure how much longer she can keep this up.

Selena Martinez helps her children Mateo (3) and Natalie (4) with online schooling. Willy Lowry / The National
Selena Martinez helps her children Mateo (3) and Natalie (4) with online schooling. Willy Lowry / The National

Ms Martinez, 25, is one of millions of Americans struggling financially and emotionally during the pandemic. “My kids aren’t learning. I’m not a teacher, I don’t have a diploma or anything,” she said. “It’s just me. My mom doesn’t know how to work the tablets at all. And I’ve been having issues with the school because they’ve missed some classes and I’ve had doctor's appointments.”

Ms Martinez, a single mother, lives with Natalie, Mateo, her mother and her sister in a three-bedroom apartment.

They live in America’s capital, a few minutes away from glistening government buildings. But they may as well live in a different country.

The well-paved roads that lead to the US Capitol building and the National Mall start to decay somewhere over the Anacostia River. By the time they reach Ward 8, where the Martinez family lives, they are pothole ridden and in desperate need of repair.

Ward 8 covers a historic stretch of the capital. It was once home to Frederick Douglass, the escaped slave who became one of the nation’s great heroes. Today, the neighbourhood is impoverished and struggling.

The median household income for Ward 8 is $36,697, which is a little more than a third of the city’s average household income of $90,695. And it is still significantly more than the Martinez family has been able to bring in since the pandemic started in January 2020.

The family has lived in the same apartment complex since 2009, but they are worried they may soon be evicted. “Right now, we’re short and wondering how we’re going to pay rent.”

Ms Martinez's mother Maria, 59, is the sole provider for the family. She has a warm smile and a cheerful laugh that masks the deep anxiety she feels. Maria works part time cleaning an office building in Silver Spring, Maryland. She makes $15.80 an hour and works three hours a day, five days a week. A month of work earns her less than $1,000, more than $400 short of the rent they pay on their apartment.

She tries to pick up other cleaning shifts when she can, but most of her side work has all but dried up in the pandemic.

With her hands full taking care of her children and their home, Ms Martinez is unable to work herself. Each month is a nail-biter. “We’re not sure for next month at all, to be honest,” she said.

The Martinez family is part of a growing number of Americans who can no longer afford their rent. One in five renters in the US are not up to date on their rent, according to the Census Bureau Household Survey from December. Renters of colour are even more likely to be behind on rent, with about one in four Latinos not able to make rental payments.

The likelihood of someone being behind on rent during the pandemic increases for those with children in the house.

Last week, in one of his first acts as president, Joe Biden signed an executive order extending a federal moratorium on evictions, which was meant to end at the end of this month, until the end of March. That means landlords can not kick out tenants even if they are behind on rent.

Many states and cities have their own eviction bans as well, but that has not stopped many landlords from exploiting loopholes to evict thousands of Americans from their homes, contributing to a rise in homelessness in many places across the United States.

According to a new study from The Economic Roundtable, a Los Angeles research organisation, the recession caused by the pandemic will lead to twice as much homelessness over the next four years in the US as did the 2008 recession. Without government intervention, the group said chronic homelessness could increase 49 per cent.

“I’m anticipating we go from eviction moratoriums ending to this very bumpy period where a lot of people are in desperate situations, and then there comes some sort of solution but it will be a little too late,” said Brianna Weck of Her Resiliency Centre, which helps women in need in Washington and Baltimore.

While the group is not necessarily seeing an increase of women in need, the women coming to them for help are in much more desperate situations since the pandemic began, Ms Weck said.

Waiting for relief

As part of his $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan, President Biden proposed $30 billion to help renters and small landlords. He also called for the eviction ban to be extended until September 2021.

As Congress debates the plan, thousands of Americans like Ms Martinez are desperately waiting for any assistance that may trickle down to them.

On a cold Wednesday morning, Teddy McNair, 43, lined up outside Bread for the City, a Washington food bank, looking for help to feed his family.

A volunteer packs a grocery bag at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National
A volunteer packs a grocery bag at Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National

He was laid off from his job because of the pandemic.

“It’s been a rough year, but I think I see signs of hope that we can rebound from this, it might take a minute, it’s a lot of chaos,” Mr McNair said of his living situation.

According to the Census Bureau survey, about one in three children living in rented housing experience food shortages. That is something the Martinez family has been dealing with as well. “Right now, we’re struggling with food,” Ms Martinez said.

Like Mr McNair, the Martinez family relies on food bags from Bread for the City. The organisation has two locations in the city. One in Anacostia near the Martinez family and another in the Shaw neighbourhood.

They prepare 400 to 600 bags of food every day for community members in need. “When you think about certain areas in the city like Wards 8 and 7 where there’re food deserts, a lot of community members don't have access to quality food, so they rely on us to be able to give them that quality food,” said Kenrick Thomas, a communications and events manager at Bread for the City.

Selena Martinez poses with her Mother Maria and daughter Natalie outside Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National
Selena Martinez poses with her Mother Maria and daughter Natalie outside Bread for the City in Washington. Willy Lowry / The National

The organisation has noticed a significant increase in new community members requiring their services, with demand for food up three to four times what it was before the pandemic, Mr Thomas said. "There are families who have never had to use Bread for the City who are now using us consistently. We have a lot of community members now who were employed and now they are underemployed and they are not getting paid a consistent income."

Mr Thomas said that on top of the financial toll, the community his organisation serves is being disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 disease itself. “We also have a lot of community members who are dealing with stress now because of the possibility of being exposed to Covid-19,” he said.

For Ms Martinez's mother Maria, who speaks only Spanish, that fear of getting sick is compounded by the fear of not being able to provide for her family. She pointed to her legs, which were covered in red dots. "She just got overwhelmed with everything going on," her daughter said in explanation of the rash.

Both mother and daughter have suffered from anxiety and panic attacks as they tried to navigate the pandemic. Their one constant is each other, and together they are determined to get through the challenging times.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Previous men's records
  • 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
  • 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
  • 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
  • 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
  • 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
  • 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
  • 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
  • 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
  • 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
  • 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
Company Profile:

Name: The Protein Bakeshop

Date of start: 2013

Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani

Based: Dubai

Size, number of employees: 12

Funding/investors:  $400,000 (2018) 

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MO
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Islamophobia definition

A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

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SERIES INFO

Schedule:
All matches at the Harare Sports Club
1st ODI, Wed Apr 10
2nd ODI, Fri Apr 12
3rd ODI, Sun Apr 14
4th ODI, Sun Apr 16

UAE squad
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed

Zimbabwe squad
Peter Moor (captain), Solomon Mire, Brian Chari, Regis Chakabva, Sean Williams, Timycen Maruma, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Kyle Jarvis, Tendai Chatara, Chris Mpofu, Craig Ervine, Brandon Mavuta, Ainsley Ndlovu, Tony Munyonga, Elton Chigumbura

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Manchester United v Barcelona, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Asia Cup 2018 final

Who: India v Bangladesh

When: Friday, 3.30pm, Dubai International Stadium

Watch: Live on OSN Cricket HD

Ammar 808:
Maghreb United

Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat 

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away

It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.

The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.

But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.

At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.

Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.

And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.

At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.

And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.

* Agence France Presse

Need to know

When: October 17 until November 10

Cost: Entry is free but some events require prior registration

Where: Various locations including National Theatre (Abu Dhabi), Abu Dhabi Cultural Center, Zayed University Promenade, Beach Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Vox Cinemas at Yas Mall, Sharjah Youth Center

What: The Korea Festival will feature art exhibitions, a B-boy dance show, a mini K-pop concert, traditional dance and music performances, food tastings, a beauty seminar, and more.

For more information: www.koreafestivaluae.com

UAE squad

Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.

UAE tour of Zimbabwe

All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I

Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE

There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.

It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.

What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.

When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.

It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.

This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.

It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.

Martin Sabbagh profile

Job: CEO JCDecaux Middle East

In the role: Since January 2015

Lives: In the UAE

Background: M&A, investment banking

Studied: Corporate finance

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour Calendar 2018/19

July 29: OTA Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan

Sep 22-23: LA Convention Centre in Los Angeles, US

Nov 16-18: Carioca Arena Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Feb 7-9: Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Mar 9-10: Copper Box Arena in London, UK

Key changes

Commission caps

For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:

• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term). 

• On the protection component, there is a cap  of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).

• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated. 

• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.

• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.

Disclosure

Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.

“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”

Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.

Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.

“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.

Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
  • US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
  • Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
  • Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
  • Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
  • Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
  • The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
  • Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
  • Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Leap of Faith

Michael J Mazarr

Public Affairs

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