b'the pandemic initiates a HEALTH IS HOUSING new line of equity workThere was a definite inflection point for MEDA during theOne of our new lines of work is health equity, as we look pandemic. While we had long worked toward a medicalto ensure everyone has fair access to medical care and that home for families through our Mission Promise Neighbor- environmental conditions in communities of color do not hood education initiative, the link between health andperpetuate chronic health issues. One example of this new wealth became clearer during a public health crisis.work is our Health Equity Through Housing grant. This initia-The Missions Latino and immigrant community was hardtive will enable us to work in five of the most-impacted San hitphysically,withcasesescalatinginanongoingpan- Francisco neighborhoods to alleviate the root causes of demic. The numbers tell the story: Latinos were aroundCOVID-19s disproportionate effect on the low- and moder-40% of positive cases in 2021 even though they representate-income Latino community. Overcrowded living con-just 15% of the citys population. ditions were a primary driver of infection rates, showcasing 14'