Dear Coalition to End Homelessness: 

  

You are invited to participate in a meeting with the Racial Equity Committee of the Continuum of Care on Friday, April 23, from 1-3 pm.  Information about the background of this invitation, our hopes, and details about the meeting are as follows. 

  

In the past, the Coalition to End Homelessness had a Racial Equity Committee whose function was to examine what is happening among the services for people experiencing homelessness from the perspective of racial equity and develop strategies for addressing the racial inequities that exist.  The disproportionality of People of Color, especially Black individuals, among people experiencing homelessness, remains an issue that must guide plans to understand and end homelessness. 

  

A few months ago, there was a decision to merge the Coalition’s Racial Equity Committee with that of the Continuum of Care (CoC).  The CoC  is responsible for ending homelessness through policy, development and implementation of the countywide plan to end homelessness,  and resource alignment to achieve the objectives of the plan. The purpose of the Racial Equity Committee of the CoC is to review proposed policies, plans, and CoC membership from the perspective of how proposals support or hinder achievement of racial equity in homelessness outcomes, and how to engage People of Color as participants in planning for programs, decision-making, and funding allocations. 

  

The Racial Equity Committee would very much like to engage in a conversation about how it can support achievement of racial equity in the work of both groups, the CoC and the Coalition. This dialogue might include articulating a shared vision of racial equity, aligning planning activities, and/or identifying possibilities for support and synergy in efforts to end homelessness by the CoC and Coalition. 

  

We invite any interested members of the Coalition to discuss this intersection of interests and how we can work together to achieve our mutual racial equity goals at 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Friday, April 23, 2021.  If you are able to attend, please register for the Zoom meeting at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkd-isrDouHNL55u6Zv5KeqI-YZy4gEOPa .   

 

If you are unable to attend at that time but would like to be involved in the Racial Equity work in the future, please contact Ben Feldbush at bfeldbush@cmhshare.org. 

 

Sincerely, 

Ben Feldbush, Racial Equity Officer 

Continuum of Care Committee