Affordable housing is an issue plaguing all of Pittsburgh, and it's affecting different communities in different ways.

The city's burgeoning Latino community is one of them.

The Latino population is one of the fastest-growing in the state. However, with language barriers and documentation issues, achieving housing can be a challenge. Not even 15 minutes from each other in the city neighborhood of Beechview, Casa San José and the Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation are two entities advocating for rights in their community.

Founded in 2013 by Sister Janice Vanderneck, Casa San José supports local Latinos with such resources as wellness support, advocacy and youth programs. The nonprofit also helps hundreds of Latinos every year with emergency housing.

"The folks that we proudly service are undocumented," says Executive Director Monica Ruiz. "They don't have Social Security numbers, so it's hard to find places that will rent to them."

Four years ago, Casa was servicing around 400 individuals per year. Ruiz says they are on track to service 6,000 this year. Many Latinos immigrating to Pittsburgh are promised jobs that include housing, and Casa San José provides temporary housing for those immigrants before their jobs begin.

"We help secure them somewhere until the housing starts," Ruiz says. "If someone loses their job, it is tied to housing. Then they're out of a job and housing.

"We have the ability to house someone for two weeks, and usually within a week, they are working again and their housing has become more stable."

Monique Herrera, who serves as an emergency housing navigator, says in many cases, families do have the necessary income.

"It's just they don't know how to navigate the housing process," she says. "We're really fortunate enough to find them shelter."

Pilar Caballero, a registered nurse, says in a video showcasing Casa San Jose's contributions to the Pittsburgh Latino community that she encounters many children who cross the border alone, trying to find a new place and a new life but at the same time trying to help their families.

"There was a case where this child came by himself," she says. "We had tried to find a family to stay with this child. What was more touching to me was that he asked me, 'Do you think this family is going to want me or is going to like me?'"

Casa San José will soon be moving into a new building, allowing the organization to offer more in-house services and programming. Its mission is to assist more members of the Latino community while trying to engage all of Pittsburgh.

The Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation is another organization that has been crucial for many Latino families and individuals looking for a home in Pittsburgh, especially during a time when affordable housing is hard to come by.

The PHDC, founded in 2012, is open 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. It obtained its tax-exempt status in 2015, and the housing program, which includes rental and homeownership services, began in 2016.

The PHDC offers renting, homeownership, financial assistance and legal assistance for the Latino community.

First, the PHDC receives housing inquiries. This is often through nonprofits such as Casa San Jose and the Latino Community Center, or from walk-ins and direct calls and emails to the organization from interested members of the community.