Homelessness

In the San Gabriel Valley, boarding houses for vulnerable Chinese immigrants in search of affordable housing have operated for years. For new arrivals, these places are often the first stop. For elders, they can become the last. Some have lived in the same rooming houses for decades, resigned to conditions others would never accept. These rooming houses are cramped, unsafe, and undignified. Yet they are also a fragile safety net, keeping many elders from ending up on the street.

Aging

Research indicates that women tend to become dependent on substances, including fentanyl, more quickly, and take longer to seek help due to gender roles. Fentanyl use has skyrocketed in recent years, even among pregnant women. In the Tenderloin district of the San Francisco, Bay Area, reporter Dayanna Monroy talks to pregnant women who struggle with addiction.

Addiction

A one-bed-one-bath "hotel" room in Monterey Park is home to 12 Chinese immigrants who live in overcrowded, unsanitary and potentially deadly conditions. There are dozens of such "hotels" or "boarding houses" that help newly arrived immigrants who don't have a work permit and savings. Without this room-sharing option, they would have to sleep on the streets.

Community Safety