NHA EQUITY 2015
Equity means all people have an equal opportunity to meet their essential needs, advance their well being, achieve their goals, and shape their present and future.
Board of Directors February 2016
We learned a lot in 2015 about effective process and quality measurement. As part of our Equity review of 2015, teams re-visited their goals for the upcoming year. 2016 goals will reflect learning from this year.
Outreach and Access to Homeless and Resident Services
Diversity and Language
Diversity in RS-service Properties
7% of residents have English as 2nd language (up 4%)
29% of household members are non-white (up 6%)
216 move-outs, 21% Coc/ 166 positive move-outs, 21% CoC. 50 negative move-outs, 20% CoC
Diversity in Annie Ross House/Transitional
128 ppl served at ARH- 41% identify as CoC
57% exited to transitional/permanent housing – 29% CoC
ARTransitional: 8 households served – 38% CoC
*CoC: Communities of Color
Partnership & Program Development
2015 RS Partnerships
Oakhill (Salem)
Ridgeway Village (Hermiston)
Trenton Terrace (Portland)
SAGE
2015 HIS Partnerships
IRCO language line
Catholic Charities
Asian Social Services
Urban League of Portland
Participant Feedback
Equity and Inclusion Assessment
88% of residents are comfortable speaking up about unfair treatment
83% say they are comfortable being their true self where they live
Participants & Strategic Planning
3 participant-led focus groups were held for the 2015 Strategic Planning process. 11 families provided key insights into NHA’s future vision for HIS, including new focus areas for shelter services, education, and process improvements.
Organizational Diversity
Board: 2 potential members in recruitment: 50% identify as African American
33% of board members identify as from communities of color
Staff: Monthly inter-departmental brownbag discussions with topics related to equity were attended by 39% of staff
Diversity in Messaging
We are working to represent the diversity of our participants and residents in public communications.
Training Ourselves about Equity
Areas of focus 2015
We focused on the following areas in 2015, to build a foundational understanding of equity within the organization. Most-attended trainings:
1) Deescalating Conflict Using Nonviolence
2) Eliminating Structural Racism
3) Fair Housing in Oregon
4) Mental Health First Aid
5) Neurobiology for Trauma Informed Care
6) Becoming a Trans-inclusive Organization
Housing Development:
Measuring workforce and project cost related to equity
HD is striving to find a consistent, long-term process for reporting our accomplishments, which generally exceed industry equity standards for procurement & hiring.
One focus this year helping us meet and exceed these goals has been expanding our Oregon qualified MWESB (minority/women/emerging small business) database to focus on pre-development service provider outreach.
Goal #1: Construction Value 20% MWESB Firms
Goal #2: Construction Value 50% to Minority Firms
Goal #3: Construction Value 10% to local firms (rural)
Goal #4: Workforce Hours 25% women/minority
Goal #5: Hiring 3+ Sec. 3 residents
Asset Management: New property management, with increased focus on social equity and long-term goals
The new Property Management RFP will increase performance and equity commitments in the following areas:
Onsite staff diversity | Cultural competency training | Attention to equity in marketing | Data regarding vendor utilization
The first steps of implementation revealed some learning opportunities regarding PM education, our own staff capacity, and the need to be nimble regarding our internal timelines because partners need extensive support in the area of equity.
Affirmative Fair Housing Market Plan
This project was temporarily paused due to the learning described above related to the portfolio-wide RFP and staff changes.
Current focus is on stabilization with new managing agents and maintaining optimal financial performance.
DD Group Homes & Procurement
We awarded 203 contracts (impact $373,882) representing 44.92% utilization rate of MWESB vendors in Asset Management
RSC CJ Lince on safe space for LGBTQ residents at the Victorian…
“I have… had to address people using slurs against LGBTQ people in the community room at the Victorian, which creates a hostile environment, especially considering that there are a significant number of gay and transgender people at the Victorian. I created a permanent posting, which is important because it helps the residents who may have felt too unsafe to speak up for themselves and essentially removes the need for a verbal warning to residents, if the manager hears someone harassing another person or making a blanket threatening statement.”
How is our focus on Equity changing our work?
