They say three is a crowd. And we’re here to be heard. In the ongoing struggle for racial equity and justice, one of the most impactful phenomena is the collective voice of individuals and communities across different backgrounds coming together to effect change.
We – Elisabeth Coats, Director of Homeownership Alliance at the National Community Stabilization Trust, Hyepin Im, President and CEO at Faith and Community Empowerment, and Sara Rodriguez, CEO at Titan Title – join together to lead the National Housing Conference’s Racial Equity Working Group. Launched in August 2023, the working group priorities are centered around improving racial equity and justice with a particular focus on housing for Black Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Latino Americans, and Native American national origins. These priorities can be summarized as follows:
1) Data Collection and Analysis. The group aims to gather and analyze data to inform comprehensive community-driven policy strategies. This includes assessing the state of homeownership across communities of color, examining access to credit and financial institutions among these communities, barriers of homeownership, and breaking down demographic data to understand homeownership rates among different nationalities.
2) Tracking Legislation and Initiatives. The group is committed to tracking various policies and initiatives that impact racial equity in housing. This includes monitoring legislation such as the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act, annual appropriations legislation, and others.
The group will also highlight other issue areas and initiatives, including Special Purpose Credit Programs, racial equity initiatives, community benefits agreements, climate impact, technology and innovation, health, and community development.
3) Improving Existing Programs. The working group is attentive to funding opportunities, comment opportunities, and government rulings related to housing equity, including Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, Equitable Housing Financing Plans, and Mortgage Capital Requirements.
4) Building Solidarity and Allyship. The group is committed to fostering relationships and allyship across diverse communities of color. They aim to invite leaders to share findings, lead discussions, and inspire collective action to advance racial equity and justice in housing.
In our history and our lived experience, we find common ground in some respects and embrace our distinctiveness in others, yet our commitment remains unwavering as we come together. The Racial Equity Working Group is dedicated to taking concrete steps to address racial disparities in housing and create more equitable and just opportunities for all. We would like to express our gratitude to those who have already participated and encourage others to support the work of the Racial Equity Working Group by joining us on the first Wednesday of every month from 2:30-3:30 pm ET.
For more information, please contact Erika Ramirez, Senior Policy Associate at erika.ramirez@nhc.org