Race, Equity and Inclusion

HDC’s vision is that all people live with dignity in safe, healthy, and affordable homes within communities of opportunity. That means equity, cultural and linguistic sensitivity and community ownership are not strategies, methods, or collateral issues for us: they’re the central reason we exist; they drive our advocacy; they shape our consideration of new opportunities and the design and delivery of programs and policies (internally and externally); they’re reflected in the composition of our board, staff, affinity groups, task forces, and community partners; and they are primary criteria against which we evaluate what we do, how, and why.

Background

In 2013, the Housing Development Consortium (HDC) and its Resident Services Affinity Group, in collaboration with the City of Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR), launched a project utilizing HUD FHAP Partnership Funds with a goal of providing HDC members with tools to counter racism within the affordable housing community. 

Since then, HDC has been engaged in an intentional effort to advance racial equity within the affordable housing sector of King County. We have started this process through educational and organizational development programming.

The Race, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative seeks to help HDC members apply a racial equity lens to their practices in order to achieve a more just, dignified, connected, and accommodating King County. 

Racial Equity Initiative Mission Statement

Housing Development Internship Program

We have created the Housing Development Internship Program to support the next generation of diverse affordable housing professionals. The affordable housing sector is a vibrant community of committed leaders and passionate professionals all committed to the HDC’s vision. This internship aims to expose driven and curious students looking to be a part of a mission-driven working community.

Accepting Applications for our 2020-2021 Program

We are now accepting host agency applications for our 2020-2021 Housing Development Internship Program (HDIP), which seeks to create opportunities in the affordable housing sector for students of color from diverse backgrounds.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all and has created enormous uncertainty in what lies ahead, the impact of the pandemic on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) has been devastating due to existing, historic inequities. Now more than ever, as a sector, we need to address the immediate needs of BIPOC communities by investing in programs and opportunities that create sustainable and equitable progress in affordable housing and across the County.

If your organization is interested in learning more about our HDIP, we invite you to complete our brief Prospective Host Agency survey, join us for a HDIP info session (dates coming soon), and/or reach out to Aselefech Evans, HDC’s Equity and Programs Manager.

HDIP Host Agency Applications

Prospective Host Agency Survey

Nola Liu – 2019 HDIP Intern

Tom Nguyen – 2019 HDIP Intern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REI Learning Cohort

HDC developed the Racial Equity Learning Cohort, along with our Racial Equity Toolkit, to help member organizations be intentional in their work, as well as to ground organizations in foundational information on racial equity.

We have three goals in this endeavor:

  1. Support HDC members in completing the Racial Equity Toolkit, particularly the Organizational Assessment and Workplan.
  2. Support a cohort of 4-5 HDC members to participate in a learning community of peers.
  3. Work together to build organizational capacity, identify opportunities to leverage resources, and share best practices.

Recruiting Diversity Task Force

HDC’s Recruiting Diversity Task Force is charged with providing recommendations and making the connections necessary to ensure racial equity is a cornerstone of the organization’s vision. Within the broader goal of racial equity, the task force in its current state is focused on recruiting a diverse workforce in the affordable housing sector and ingraining the principles of racial equity into HDC’s member organizations to increase POC retention and mobility throughout the sector.

Responsibilities of RDTF:

Racial Equity Toolkit

This toolkit is designed so that it can be customized to fit the needs and characteristics of your organization. This tool is meant to provide context for why racial equity work is important by providing a backdrop for our efforts. Feel free to use this to educate your fellow staff and management to help achieve a common, baseline understanding in your organization.

The layout of the document follows the format of the 4 principles behind this project:

  • Education on racial equity
  • Identification of racial equity issues in organizations
  • Creation of a plan for change
  • Implementation of the tools

The individual tools are designed to fit these principles accordingly.

Racial Equity Toolkit (downloadable)

Additional Tools:

Promising Practices Profiles

Member organizations that have made great strides in implementing racial equity work can create a profile of a practice that has been successful within their organization. The goal is to help share knowledge and experience with others to build stronger, more sustainable affiliates, which will help to create stronger communities. If you would like to share a promising practice for racial equity with us, please fill out a Racial Equity Promising Practices Capture Form

Check out some of our member’s promising practices:

Additional REI resources can be found on our Member Portal

For more information, please contact:

Aselefech Evans
206-636-1254
[email protected]