At TPCH, our mission is to end homelessness and address the issues related to homelessness in our community. That mission has never been more crucial than right now – a time when racial injustice and systemic exclusion perpetuates abuse and retaliation against Black people demanding justice, a time when an unprecedented pandemic is sweeping the country and most severely impacting and threatening the lives of Black and Brown communities.
Like you, we are horrified by the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbury. We are saddened by the knowledge that these are just a few of the countless Black Americans who have been oppressed, victimized, and killed due to systemic racism throughout our nation. We are cognizant that a culture of systemic oppression results in health and education disparity, employment and housing discrimination, incarceration, poverty, and the silencing of Black voices. It is not lost on us that these are the very issues related to homelessness that we commit to address.
Our mission demands that we stand unequivocally with the Black community, our Black colleagues, and our Black neighbors experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Our response must be thorough and go beyond providing housing and services to those who seek them. Together, we must challenge the system of oppression and racism that threatens the lives of Black people. We must listen to, honor, and take the lead from people with lived experience of these injustices.
TPCH stands with our neighbors and allies seeking immediate reform. As part of a commitment to combating racism, we are:
- Centering Black voices during this pivotal moment while also committing to the work to address racial injustice as it exists in all forms and affects Latinx, Native American, and others in our region.
- Formally launching the TPCH Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. The committee will lead TPCH’s efforts to address and improve racial equity within the local homelessness response system. In honor of the June 19 Juneteenth holiday and the continued work for liberation of Black Americans, the committee’s first meeting will be held on Monday, June 22 at 1pm. Thank you to those of you who have already signed up to participate. If you would like to join this important work, please email tpch@tucsonaz.gov.
- Partnering with C4 Innovations’ Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities initiative to conduct in-depth analysis of TPCH policies and practices, provide a five-part training series for TPCH members and community partners, provide specialized training for members’ executive leadership, and support a cohort-based community of practice for organizations that are ready to take the next step to transforming organizational policy and practice to improve racial equity. C4 Innovations has been a leader in supporting communities across the country as they work to identify and address racial disparity within their homelessness response systems. This initiative will launch later this summer and details will be shared through the TPCH email list.
- Accelerating our work to address racial equity in youth homelessness response through participation in the A Way Home America Grand Challenge scheduled to begin in October 2020.
- Calling on white leaders to cede power to Black and Brown communities and to use their positions to of authority to advance the goals of those communities.
- Using our social media, website, newsletter, community presentations, and other communications as platforms for improving racial equity within the homelessness response system and centering Black and Brown voices in our strategies and solutions to ending homelessness.
- Increasing diversity and expanding Black and Brown leadership within the Continuum of Care including the TPCH Board and Committees.
Real change takes deep reflection, open communication, hard work, and sustained commitment. It happens one crucial conversation at a time. We are committed to making our current efforts the beginning of an ongoing and necessary conversation about race, justice, and equity. It is our hope that you will partner with us in these efforts and hold us accountable to building a stronger and more equitable system.
We stand with you. We are here for you. Black Lives Matter.
