Homecoming: Housing Justice is Racial and Economic Justice

As part of Neighborhood Funders Group’s 40th anniversary virtual convening series, the Democratizing Development Program (DDP) is hosting “HomeComing”: Housing Justice is Racial and Economic Justice, a 3-hour session for grantmakers working in partnership with groups pushing for short-term shifts and bolder strategies to address the intersections of community health, housing, community ownership, and racial justice.

As communities continue to respond, repair, rebuild and heal for justice against police brutality, the coronavirus pandemic, and the ensuing economic crisis, groups that have been organizing for years are continuing to build infrastructure to ensure that people have safe and stable homes. Accessing affordable housing and land is an absolute prerequisite to the economic and social well-being of individuals, families, and the community at large. Philanthropy's unwavering support of groups working to demand that Congress, states, and city leadership respond and support housing needs — including rent moratoriums, canceling rent demands, local bans on evictions, public, and private rental assistance programs — is even more critical while people are still being evicted during so-called eviction “moratoriums.”

While philanthropy invests in the ecosystem of strategies to address housing and community needs, many funders are leveraging capital to move forward bold strategies and reframing the “housing crisis” debate to a holistic response linking systemic racism, housing discrimination, land theft, and racial capitalism.

As we critically respond to our current conditions, we cannot afford to lose our focus on the long-term vision that is aligned with groups working on frontlines of change. Please join the Democratizing Development Program as we move forward conversations with leaders in the field working to address discriminatory housing policies that have harmed communities of color, which are disproportionately policed and targeted by the same legal system that criminalizes low-income communities of color. We will also further engage in conversations on collective action for rent control, community land trusts, reclaiming housing, and ongoing strategies to leverage our collective power.

Session Goals:

1. Deepen our shared analysis and framework of building power-building efforts for affordable housing and equitable development
2. Support our shared analysis of local, state, and federal demands for housing needs and the increasing role of philanthropic resources in our housing justice movement
3. Apply a racial equity lens that supports land, housing, and economic opportunities for wealth building and assets in communities of color

For additional information about this event, contact Nile K. Malloy, Senior Program Manager of the Democratizing Development Program, at nile@nfg.org.