There is a concerning economic phenomenon in the Inland Empire (IE) concerning affordability and access to basic goods. According to the Census Bureau survey, almost half of the households within the IE cannot afford their usual expenses, and a third have difficulties paying bills. The socioeconomic status of the IE continues to dwindle as unemployment and inflation rise, creating an unsustainable problem that warrants federal intervention.
Much of the financial difficulty within IE households can be attributed to the logistics industry. Over the last decade, there has been an overpopulation of commercial warehouses, with approximately 90% of warehouse growth in inland counties. The warehouse industry is not thriving as much as it did during the pandemic, contributing to the metropolitan area’s unemployment rate. This shift can be attributed to the post-pandemic phenomenon of customers spending more on services like travel and entertainment than on cars and groceries. This phenomenon and high inflation have made the warehouse industry less popular.
IE unemployment has increased by 5.5% above the national average within the past two years. Many warehouse workers have had to take up additional work to supplement their income and make it survivable. Victor Ramirez, a longtime warehouse employee, explains his struggle of having to pick up additional work as an Uber driver due to the slowdown of the warehouse he is employed with. This is not uncommon as Sheheryar Kaoosji, executive director of a nonprofit advocacy group for Warehouse Worker Resources, says that the average worker is always in a position of financial uncertainty. Coupled with the increased inflation, the unemployment rate and high costs create an incredibly hard situation for the IE community.
To add insult to injury, food insecurity is rampant among many households in the IE. When food insecurity is coupled with the inability to meet a quota to pay bills, there is a lack of stability in both food and living conditions. The quality of life is dwindling for IE residents to a simply unacceptable standard of living. Residents deserve access to healthy food options and sustainable living costs.
The IE represents the many communities across the country who are struggling due to inflation and need support from their government. Nationwide, last month, 22.3% of adults living in households struggled to pay an energy bill, and more than one-third said it was difficult to pay for usual household expenses. The IE is just one of the many areas experiencing food insecurity and widespread financial hardship, which indicates a much larger issue at hand with inflation and the need for support by their government to stay afloat.
There are programs and opportunities that can help alleviate some of the burdens that IE residents face. For example, Opportunity Starts at Home (OSAH), a multisector coalition, works to generate widespread support for federal policies that help correct economic injustices by seeking quality housing for people with low incomes. Other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other federal nutrition programs, can help reduce financial hardship.
Food banks say that changes to the food stamp program and rising food prices have led to a wave of people seeking government assistance. Unfortunately, the funding that was allocated to people in need during the pandemic has become unsustainable. The government’s inability to keep up with rising food prices makes battling food insecurity more difficult, especially as the aid recipients were being offered shrunk dramatically in March 2023.
Initiatives already implemented to alleviate some financial hardship need to be expanded and utilized even more in light of the IE’s current socioeconomic state. The state and federal government must authorize additional funding to ensure people can afford basic necessities and keep the programs that fight food insecurity alive.
