How can inclusionary housing programs best incorporate racial equity? These two reports focus on two important elements intended to engage both the process and outcome of racial equity: advancing racial equity through anti-racist methodologies that engage in transformative change, and advancing racial equity through specific technical elements of inclusionary housing policies, programs and practices.
This Resource at a Glance
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22 Files
Key take-aways
- Race-conscious strategies are necessary to mitigate racist barriers and expand opportunities for people of color.
- Neighborhoods and communities of color have varied needs and preferences. Impactful policy is informed by best practices, but ultimately designed in collaboration with those who will be directly affected.
- There are multiple best practices for incorporating racial equity into an inclusionary housing program; this guide outlines 14 such practices.
- While there is no perfect example of a racially equitable inclusionary housing program, there are programs that have incorporated one or more key elements that help advance racial equity; this guide shares examples.
Advancing Racial Equity in Housing and Community Development: An Anti-Racism Guide for Transformative Change outlines four different levels of how racism functions—internalized, interpersonal, institutional and structural, and provides anti-racist interventions at each of the four levels.
Advancing Racial Equity in Inclusionary Housing Programs: A Guide for Policy and Practice offers a series of recommendations for how to prioritize racial equity in inclusionary housing programs specifically, and spotlights an example of a best practice from the field for each recommendation. The recommendations are:
- Choose income targets for the affordable units that match those of renter households of color
- Require or encourage the construction of unit sizes that match the household sizes of renter households of color
- Adopt building design standards to avoid stigmatizing residents of affordable units
- Consider the use of city subsidies to advance racial equity goals
- Base the decision about compliance alternatives on the needs and preferences of households of color
- Establish high-bar marketing requirements to ensure renters of color have access
- Support preference policies that advance racial equity
- Require a lottery for applicant selection (rather than first-come, first-served)
- Set limits on resident selection screening criteria
- Require rental property owners to accept Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers
- Collect and analyze data on the race and ethnicity of those served by affordable units
- Base the decision about which resale formula to use on feedback from people of color and equity-oriented organizations
- Require lasting affordability for affordable units
- Partner with a Community Land Trust for stewardship of affordable units
This collection of resources includes:
- A 17-page report on advancing racial equity in housing and community development through anti-racist methodologies that engage in transformative change.
- A 12-page report on advancing racial equity through specific technical elements of inclusionary housing policies, programs and practices.
