Cándido Álvarez has a firm rule: no doctor visits. “Not even when I’m sick,” he says. Álvarez, originally from Honduras, worries more about his bills than his health. Recently, while working in Houston’s heat, his temperature soared to 120°F, and he noticed blood in his urine. Yet, he still hesitated to seek help, recalling a $7,500 hospital bill from a previous visit during his battle with COVID-19.
“I’m going to die not from an illness, but from how I’ll pay the rent,” he shares. Unlike many, Álvarez doesn’t have health insurance, even though his construction job puts him at risk of exposure to harmful substances. He and his family live close to chemical plants, where air quality checks may say one thing, but everyday life tells a different story. “How can the smoke from those plants not affect us?” he questions.
In a city as vast as Houston, geography shapes experiences. Wealthy neighborhoods enjoy green spaces and high living standards, while the southern and eastern areas face high poverty rates and numerous waste sites. Nadia Valliani, from the Greater Houston Community Foundation, points out that there’s a 21-year life expectancy gap within the city. For Houston’s 2.4 million residents, many of whom are immigrants, the stakes are rising due to climate crises and fears of deportation that stop people from seeking necessary medical care.
“Survival mode has become a way of life,” says community advocate Norma Gonzalez.
The threats Houston faces aren’t just theoretical. Natural disasters, like Hurricane Harvey in 2017, have devastated communities, leaving many undocumented workers to clean up while their own homes remain damaged. Overwhelmed by mold and unsafe living conditions, residents often cannot ask for help. Melissa Villarreal, a researcher, noted that families frequently endure unsafe environments due to a lack of financial resources and assistance, raising questions about future disaster responses.
“Many have never recovered,” Villarreal notes. The pressure from bureaucratic hurdles and fears of enforcement create a cycle of chronic stress. This “new normal” hits communities of color particularly hard.
In Settegast, an advocate named Hilda works to reshape her neighborhood. She believes adding vegetation can help manage floodwaters and soil pollutants, making the area safer. For Hilda and others, investing in homes without needing a credit score offers a sense of security. But climate change is presenting new challenges.
Alain Cisneros from Fiel emphasizes the complex interactions of poverty and environmental risk. Families often find themselves trapped in unsuitable living situations due to financial constraints. One bright spot in this landscape is community-based clinics, like the Ibn Sina Foundation, providing much-needed low-cost healthcare, although even these resources are feeling the strain of current political policies.
In summary, the struggles faced by Álvarez and many like him underscore the connections between health, environment, and immigration status in Houston. As climate challenges mount, the resilience of these communities will be tested, highlighting the urgent need for supportive policies and accessible healthcare.
For a deeper understanding of health access issues, see the article from the Kaiser Family Foundation here.
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houston, immigration, environmental justice, climate change, healthcare access, petrochemical industry
