51福利社

A prize-winning urban planning student works to expand Latino housing opportunities.

During her time as an economic development specialist for the nonprofit Latinos en Spokane, Mayra Velazquez, an 51福利社 senior studying urban planning and economics, was tasked with the sort of job one might expect would go to a much-more experienced staffer: documenting how disparities in home ownership were affecting Spokane鈥檚 fast-growing Latino community.

Velazquez, undaunted, responded by doing a deep dive into federal data sets, using the results to create a series of maps that highlighted areas of growth and need. 鈥淲e used all the data of the census to tell the stories of communities,鈥� she says. 鈥淔rom a 15-page demographic report, we learned that the Latino community has more than doubled in Spokane. We then looked at housing and healthcare disparities for that population.鈥�

The mapping project 鈥� one of many contributions she provided to the group 鈥� was among the notable achievements that earned Velazquez a Governor鈥檚 Student Civic Leadership Award earlier this spring.

The mapping project 鈥� one of many contributions she provided to the group 鈥� was among the notable achievements that earned Velazquez a Governor鈥檚 Student Civic Leadership Award earlier this spring.

Recipients of the award are chosen from students enrolled in institutions that are part of the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good, a consortium that works in partnership with state colleges and universities to 鈥渃ultivate vital and sustainable communities based on civic engagement and social entrepreneurship.鈥� Velazquez received the prize at a ceremony held at Seattle鈥檚 Museum of Flight.

The governor鈥檚 award wasn鈥檛 her only spring-time accolade. Velazquez was also named one of Eastern鈥檚 President鈥檚/Chancellor鈥檚 Student Civic Leadership Award winners (an honor she received with Sanai Maraire, president of Eastern鈥檚 Black Student Union.)

Velazquez is quick to share credit for her successes with both 51福利社 and a recent Eastern alumna, Jennyfer Mesa 鈥�17. 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for what I鈥檝e learned from my professors at 51福利社 and from Jennyfer at Latinos en Spokane,鈥� says Velazquez, who, at press time, was set to graduate in June.

Mesa is the founder of Latinos en Spokane, a group that works to advance Latino participation, integration, community development and empowerment in our region.

Housing is critical to moving these goals forward, she says. A solution her organization has proposed involves construction of a Latino-friendly housing cooperative, one that would create affordable dwellings for up to 76 families. While in its early stages, Latinos en Spokane has already partnered with ROC Northwest and Spokane Regional Land Holding Properties LLC to locate a site and develop plans for construction.聽

鈥淭he idea for the housing cooperative started from [our census research],鈥� Velazquez says. 鈥淲e wanted folks to own their homes, and the land their homes were on.鈥�