6/3/2020

Like so many of us, I found myself glued to the coverage of protests throughout our country this past week. I feel a range of emotions from sadness to anger to unrest over the unnecessary and unjust killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the countless other black lives who have been senselessly taken.  At Habitat for Humanity, our vision is a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live, and yet it has become more apparent that there is so much work to be done to achieve that vision when members of our black community are often still not safe to jog, walk, or exist in the communities they live.

We at Habitat join our community in mourning.  We share in the feelings of the abhorrent injustice and inhumanity of these killings, and we stand firmly in solidarity with our neighbors and friends who are fighting for justice, equality, and racial inclusivity. Inequalities throughout our society impact access to healthcare, income, justice, education, and yes, housing, and it simply cannot be allowed to continue. The outcry to rectify these problems has been ignored for far too long. The time for change is now.

I believe that what Habitat does is important and life changing work that is helping to provide access to housing for individuals and families in our community, our nation and around the world. We don’t do it alone, however. We do it hand-in-hand with our communities. We bring people together in unity to provide opportunities for low income families in our community to become first time home owners and break though systemic inequity that has shut too many of our neighbors of color out of housing and equity building opportunities.  And we preserve homeownership for long-time residents, often the elder leaders of their neighborhoods, empowering them to retain their assets and transfer them to the next generation.

Yet Habitat is so much more than a housing nonprofit. It’s a vision of a world where we share one humanity. Habitat for Humanity was born on a farm in South Georgia on a theory of radical inclusivity, at a time when inclusivity was seen by some as an existential threat. It’s a vision of a world we still believe in and vow to fight to build each and every day.

Now more than ever we are called to focus on our mission and continue to raise our voices for that vision of an equitable world where everyone is safe and everyone has a decent place to live.

Leah Miller
President and CEO, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento is joining Habitat for Humanity affiliates across the country in standing with our sister affiliate, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, whose people are feeling the pain of a loss of a member of their city most deeply. For some suggestions on how to take action, we invite you to visit their website.