Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at Homebase
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Homebase is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in our organization and the communities where we partner. Recognizing that homelessness is driven by systemic, intersectional inequities, we believe it is crucial as an organization to promote equity and anti-racism throughout our work.
Statement by the Homebase Board of Directors
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The Homebase Board of Directors believes that equity and anti-racism are essential to creating innovative, transformative, strategic and practical solutions for people experiencing and at risk of homelessness. We acknowledge the profound historical and systemic barriers to stable housing that exist for many of our BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and other marginalized neighbors.
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Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging at Homebase begins with providing equal access and fair opportunities for our existing and incoming staff, and we endorse and support our staff in their work to build community capacity to end homelessness, reduce poverty, and foster thriving, inclusive and equitable communities.
Homebase Equity Steering Committee (ESC)
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Founded in 2018, the Homebase Equity Steering Committee is a staff-driven initiative to build Homebase's internal and external capacity to advance equity -- with an emphasis on anti-racism -- through education, consultation, and equitable recruitment, retention, and advancement of current and future staff.
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Guiding principles serve as the grounding truths and context that influence the ways in which we engage in our work sustainably. They are acknowledgements of the systems that we live under and guide us in decision making. They are the "where we are at now" of the work.
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We live in a society where there is an unequal distribution of resources and power that benefits centered identities (male, cisgender, white, American citizen, able bodied, etc).
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We know that, historically, government laws, policies, and practices have created and maintained inequities.
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We understand issues like racism are intersectional and interconnected with sexism, classism, ageism, ableism, anti-trans bias, heterosexism, and other forms of oppression and create unique and often compounding experiences.
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We acknowledge that all people have multiple layers to their identities, no group is monolithic, and we each come to this work bringing unique knowledge, expertise, and perspectives drawn from our own experiences. We recognize both the value in that and also the need to seek out expertise and leadership from people outside the ESC and Homebase, especially concerning issues that impact minority and marginalized groups that are not well or fully represented among our membership or staff.
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The Equity Steering Committee Charter, updated annually, reflects our goals and vision for this work.
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