| Located in southeast Arizona, the University of Arizona-South Campus serves a large Hispanic population and is the only 4-year institution that serves the U.S.-Mexico border region in Arizona, with offices in Sierra Vista and Douglas. The target area for its Hispanic-Serving Institutions Assisting Communities (HSIAC) grant is the colonia of Douglas, located in Cochise County along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Arizona Border Region Enterprise Community. Approximately 86 percent of Douglas' residents are Hispanic. The unemployment rate in Douglas is greater than 10 percent and is expected to jump to 24 percent after the closures of the local mine, the K-Mart, and a local long-term care facility. The closure of the mine will mean the end of one of the oldest employers in Douglas, which has employed generations of families.
To help rebuild the local economy, the HSIAC project will provide funds for the acquisition of real property and the provision of technical assistance to stabilize and expand a local garment manufacturer, stabilize and expand the local childcare facility, and create a community center to facilitate social and economic development. Each of the properties will be acquired by the Cochise County Community Development Corporation to ensure that they're preserved for the ongoing social and economic needs of the community.
The City of Douglas welcomes the assistance provided by this project. Most of the jobs in Cochise County are in the low-wage retail and hospitality sectors. Although jobs in wholesale trade, and professional, scientific, technical, administrative, and support areas pay higher wages, they require education and experience that many residents lack. Government employment represents about one-third of the jobs in Cochise County but many of these positions, especially at the federal level, are filled by transferees from other areas.
|
