SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — We live in America's Finest City.
A border community filled with some of the most beautiful beaches and landmarks but behind the beauty - the ugly truth about the cost of living here.
One in 10 are living below the poverty line, including 86-thousand children, according to the San Diego Foundation's Economic Equity Report.
"When I think of that statistic, I think of San Ysidro because I live here and one in four encounter poverty," said Juan Ochoa.
Ochoa works for Casa Familiar and is hands-on in the San Ysidro community helping those who were once in his shoes.
His family immigrated to the United States from Mexico and he watched as his parents worked long hours to provide for their family.
"They would always tell us, we're doing this so you don't have to struggle," he said.
The report shows that the biggest groups impacted in San Diego are our Latino and Black communities.
Data shows black children are two and a half times as likely as white children to live in poverty, while twice as many Latinos are living in households not making enough money to cover basic expenses compared to white San Diegans.
But overall, the study found all San Diegans spend too much of their income on housing, utilities, transportation, and food.
He said the solution is to activate the community.
"Activating everybody."
You can find information on Casa Familiar's services and programs here.
