Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
Mission Statement
Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are core values for MHP. Our staff-driven DEIB committee is an open and representative group providing leadership to foster a community of respect and belonging. In order to build that community, we seek to lead our colleagues to a better understanding of and appreciation for our many differences including race, gender, ethnicity, class, ability, religion, sexual preference, gender expression, language, family circumstances, age, and cultural backgrounds. Our organization-wide educational work, while internally focused initially, will ultimately inform our external work and partnerships.
Throughout this ongoing process we will seek to be conscious of and address deeply entrenched practices, cultural norms, and decision-making structures that perpetuate inequities in our organization and in the communities that we serve. While we acknowledge that many forms of oppression exist, we will concentrate much of our focus on racial inequities given the historic injustices related to housing. Racial discrimination is a legacy of our nation’s painful history; bias and institutional racism persist. We understand equity to mean receiving what one needs to succeed, and acknowledge that we are not all born with the same opportunities.
We propose that MHP as an organization, and we as its staff, commit to shared DEIB values and focus an equity lens on all that we do to assist communities, create policy and finance affordable housing. We seek to implement equitable programs/policies, engage in open and respectful conversations and promote diversity, in order to achieve the greatest benefit for our organization and communities we serve. Our values include:
- Commitment to creating and cultivating a diverse staff, including in leadership positions.
- Building a culture of respect and sense of belonging for all.
- All should feel safe to bring their full self to work and not feel the need to hide elements of identity.
- Working to combat systems of oppression in the office and beyond.
To learn more about the origins of the DEIB Working Group, check out the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion section of MHP's Annual Report.
DEIB Working Group Initiatives
Lunch and Learns
The DEIB Working Group hosts a Lunch and Learn series at MHP. During these sessions, staff members are encouraged to join members of the working group over their lunch period to engage in learning and discussion about issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Sessions also involve staff experiences and cultural celebrations in addition to outside speakers.
Past Lunch and Learn topics have included: the Affordable Homes Act, the Redress Movement, a history of MHP's DEIB journey, Filipino Jeepneys and Filipino culture, LGBTQ Senior Housing, Black Stories Matter, a Black History Month discussion led by Rev. Dr. Kevin Peterson of the New Democracy Coalition, and a discussion with members of the Boston Alliance of LGBTQ+ Youth.
Belonging Survey
Since 2019, the Working Group has collaborated with an outside DEIB consultant on a yearly Belonging Survey. This anonymous survey gathers insights on the staff experience of belonging and identity at MHP, and helps the Working Group prioritize actions and initiatives for the upcoming year.
Stay Interviews
In order to create a culture of listening and learning, as well as understand what drives MHP employee retention, annual Stay Interviews were implemented in 2023. Staff members are given the opportunity to have a guided conversation with their manager, a member of HR, or a third party, to discuss their MHP experience.
MHP Cares and Outward-Facing Work
The DEIB Working Group launched a new volunteer initiative in 2023 called MHP Cares. The primary mission of MHP is to provide access to affordable housing across the commonwealth. MHP Cares takes this mission one step further by opening the door for staff to do community service in their communities. The program offers two components: group volunteering and Volunteer Time Off (VTO). Group volunteering provides the opportunity for staff to work together on a project in partnership with local charity groups. VTO allows employees to take a full day each year to participate in a community service project.
Examples of past group volunteering opportunities are: packing meal bags with Community Servings in Jamaica Plain, participating in a Toy Drive through Omega Men in Action, and packing snack bags and giving donations to Pine Street Inn.
DEIB and Careers at MHP
MHP’s mission is to expand access to affordable housing across the Commonwealth. Internally, we focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging within our own organization. Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) are core values for MHP. MHP’s DEIB Working Group has been guiding this work for the past few years with support from leadership and all employees. Our staff-driven DEIB Working Group is an open and representative group which has provided leadership within the organization to foster a community of respect and belonging. As MHP continues to grow, we commit to providing the resources to support dedicated DEIB work to continue build community and lead our colleagues to a better understanding of, and appreciation for, our many differences including race, gender, ethnicity, class, ability, religion, sexual preference, gender expression, language, family circumstances, age, and cultural backgrounds. Our organization-wide educational work, while internally focused, also informs our external work and partnerships.
To learn more about career opportunities at MHP please visit our Careers page.
DEIB Co-Chairs
If you would like to learn more about the DEIB Working Group, please reach out to one of our co-chairs: