Equity and Homelessness
People of color are disproportionately more likely than White people to experience homelessness in the US. Systemic discrimination and racism have resulted in disparities in the ways housing programs and homeless services impact diverse populations. When people of color experience homelessness, trauma, substance use, and mental health challenges, their housing stability is further undermined by racism, discrimination, and stigma.
Black, Indigenous, and Hispanic and Latinx people experiencing housing instability and homelessness need access to effective, culturally responsive, racially equitable services and supports.
Equity is a strategy to address disparities and achieve fairness for all. At C4 Innovations, we start with racial equity because racism permeates every institution and system in the US, denying millions the right to a fair and just society in which they can thrive and prosper. Through partnership with communities and people with lived experience, we incorporate person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approaches to understand factors that drive inequities and achieve transformative outcomes.
We Can Help You
Together with communities, we assist government agencies, non-profits, for-profits, communities, and other organizations and systems to:
- Learn the history of race and housing discrimination and its impact on housing stability for marginalized populations
- Understand the impact of discrimination, racism, and racial trauma on people of color who experience housing instability and homelessness
- Understand the impact of racism on housing policies, programs, services, and outcomes
- Collect, identify, and assess data and disaggregate data to differentiate populations that are most marginalized by homelessness and housing instability
- Survey staff and board members to examine current practices on diversity, inclusion, and equity
- Lead conversations, listening sessions, and structured interviews about racism with staff, board members, service providers, community leaders and those you serve
- Review, update, and operationalize policies and procedures to ensure equity
- Develop action steps to shift organizational culture and implement strategies for making equitable change
- Build shared accountability for achieving and sustaining results and measure progress towards goals
Learn More about partnering with us.
"It sparked my personal and I believe our collective imagination for how to engage in this work. I have new ideas percolating and know my team does as well. I feel more confident engaging in these conversations in the immediate future." -Training participant
"The training showed me I need to educate myself more about the history of racism and its impact on homelessness. The training also influenced my willingness to have those uncomfortable conversations needed to make change." -Training participant
Our Experts
Coordinated Entry Equity Demonstration Project
Regina Cannon, C4's Chief Equity and Impact Officer & Vice President of Housing Solutions, conceptualized and is co-leading the Coordinated Entry Equity Demonstration Project through the Office of Special Needs Assistance Programs (SNAPS) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The goal of the Demonstration Project is to achieve racially equitable housing outcomes by centering the expertise of people of color who have experienced homelessness or housing instability.
Coordinated Entry Systems Racial Equity Analysis of Assessment Data
Nationally, people of color are overrepresented among people who are homeless. Stakeholders and policymakers are examining system-level factors which may be contributing to, reinforcing, and perpetuating these racial inequities.
In partnership with Building Changes and several Continuums of Care, we conducted an analysis to examine potential limits of assessments used by coordinated entry systems to prioritize those with the greatest need. Our research concludes:...
Learn More
- Equity in Action: Trauma-Informed Supervision: online course starts October 23, 2024
- Equity and Inclusion: Navigating Systemic Marginalization: online course starts November 14, 2024
- Morning Cup of Equity-podcast series
- Coordinated Entry Equity Demonstration Project
- Bringing Racial Equity to Homeless Response Systems
- Coordinated Entry Systems Racial Equity Analysis of Assessment Data (PDF)
- Race Equity and Homelessness-podcast series
- Equitable Coordinated Entry Systems
- Housing Solutions
- Equity and Recovery
More about our expertise and our training and technical assistance approaches and offerings.
