Race and Homelessness in the United States: Progress and Peril for the Work Ahead

Over the past several years, the conversation about racial equity and addressing homelessness has shifted considerably as homelessness and housing leaders have pushed the field to have different conversations and look at data and solutions differently. In order to achieve equity and justice, we also know that it’s critical to understand the historical and current context of any issue.  

In this webinar, Donald Whitehead and Jeff Olivet from Racial Equity Partners will share a timeline of the history of race and homelessness in the United States to provide this historical context. They will spend time talking in depth about the national, state, and local work that has happened over the past several years in our collective response to end homelessness. Grounded in a historical analysis of structural racism and drawing on racial disparities data, we will explore bright spots in racial equity implementation, the rapidly shifting political and economic landscape around racial equity work, and persistent challenges to achieving equitable outcomes for people of color experiencing homelessness. 

Whether you are a funder who has worked to end homelessness for a long time or are newer to ending homelessness, this 90-minute webinar will help provide the historical and current landscape related to racial equity and homelessness and will include ample time for questions and answers.  

By the end of this webinar, participants will have: 

• Historical knowledge about race and homelessness in the United States, 
• An understanding of key pieces of research, policy change, and practices from the last several years that have helped center racial equity in the work to end homelessness, and 
• Time to ask questions and discuss what this means for the work ahead.