Posted on May 24, 2021
On the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, and after the conviction of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, we are restating our promise to do everything we can to stand up against racism and support housing policies and programs that create more economic opportunities for people of color.
We are doing this because all too often we are reminded that words fail us and that empathizing with the deep pain felt by Black and Brown Americans who have endured generations of discrimination is never enough.
The murder of George Floyd by police has forced us all to look in the mirror and ask how can we make this stop? How can we be more anti-racist within our organization and in the work we do? How can we work harder to create places where Black and Brown Americans are respected and can thrive?
For everyone at MHP, George Floyd's legacy is a wake-up call. People marching in the streets crying out for justice is a reminder that unsafe, inaccessible, unaffordable, segregated housing remains a cornerstone of systemic racism.
For everyone at MHP, George Floyd's legacy is a wake-up call. People marching in the streets crying out for justice reminds us that unsafe, unhealthy, inaccessible, unaffordable, segregated housing remains a cornerstone of systemic racism. COVID-19 may have driven us apart but the events of the last year have caused us to come together and keep asking each other, “Are we doing enough?”
Since 1985, addressing racial and economic inequities has been at the core of MHP’s mission. Our ONE Mortgage program was designed to eliminate racial bias in mortgage lending and has enabled more than 10,000 low-income households of color to become homeowners.
We must do more.
Our financing and technical assistance has resulted in thousands of affordable housing units being built in suburban communities and given more choices to households of color about where to live, work and raise children.
We must do more.
Our analysis and our public testimony has called out communities with restrictive zoning that excludes new residents by race and income.
We must speak louder.
We don’t have all the answers yet. We do know we’re angry and sad to see that more than a half century after the civil rights movement, Black Americans and other people of color are still fighting for equal rights.
We do know that it will take a broad coalition of everyday Americans standing up for justice and what is right, accompanied by policymakers and elected officials taking these issues seriously and taking bold and comprehensive action.
If we're going to undo centuries worth of inequitable and unjust policies, we cannot do it one small step at a time. We need action and we need it now. We at MHP know we can’t let George Floyd and many other people of color die in vain.