We, at the Housing Alliance, stand in solidarity with the people and movements across our country and across the world, demanding justice for the murder of George Floyd. We are heartbroken and outraged about the devaluing of Black lives that led to the killing of so many Black people at the hands of police and white supremacists, including Mr. Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Charleena Lyles, and countless others. 

We recognize that white supremacy and systemic racism that are so rampant in our country have created racist policies that allow these killings to happen. And we understand that these same structures create the racist policies that cause Black people to experience homelessness, evictions, and housing instability at disproportionate rates. 

Achieving our mission requires us to fight for equity and racial justice in the housing system and do everything we can to dismantle racism more broadly. We recommit to this work and pledge to be better allies in the broader movement for racial justice. To start, we join Black Lives Matter in calling for a redistribution of resources, away from police and toward investments in the health and prosperity of our communities: #DefundThePolice. 

We encourage our community of supporters to join us in committing to becoming actively anti-racist in word and in action. As Dr. Ibram X. Kendi says: “…there is no neutrality in the racism struggle. The opposite of “racist” isn’t “not-racist.” It is “anti-racist.””  

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but here are some ways you can take action:

• Since our office is located in Seattle, we are donating today to Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County. Join us here or find other ways to support Black Lives Matter supported efforts here.
• Support Black-owned businesses. 
• Take action for justice for Breonna Taylor.
• Contribute to the official George Floyd Memorial Fund. 
• Contribute to the fundraiser for Ahmaud Arbery.

Recommended readings:

• How the U.S. Got Its Police Force (Time Magazine)
• (For white people) 5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence
• A Letter from Marc Dones On the Necessity of Black Futures
• How to be an Antiracist (Ibram X. Kendi) Read the book, and watch Dr. Kendi's conversation with Diane Yentel of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
• The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America (Richard Rothstein)
• The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Michelle Alexander)
• So You Want To Talk About Race (Ijeoma Oluo)
• White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism (Robin DiAngelo)

We recognize that this statement is insufficient, and we will work to do more and do it better. In addition to the invitation to join us in solidarity, we also invite you to hold us accountable to this commitment.

In solidarity,

Allyson, Caroline, Emily, Itzchel, Jamala, John, Kiki, Ly, Michele, Rachael, and Teresa