Racial Equity in Homelessness Initiative Fellowship

A nine-month leadership development program designed for BIPOC leaders committed to racial equity and justice in Los Angeles County's homeless response sector.

Geographic Scope: Los Angeles County homeless response sector

Focus Areas:

• Racial equity in homeless response sector
• Systems change in homelessness services
• Challenging charity-based deficit models
• Implementing justice and liberation-based solutions

Target Participants:

• BIPOC leaders
• Those committed to racial equity and justice
• Those with lived experience of homelessness preferred

Program Components:

• Nine-month fellowship journey
• Building deep connections with peers
• Strengthening justice-centered leadership
• Network expansion through SJPLA community
• Development of senior leadership capacity
• Focus on building strong, supported teams
• Implementation of new systems and practices based on racial and social justice vision

Problem Statement Focus (as defined by Fellows): Homelessness in LA is legacy of centuries of racial oppression, cultural genocide, gentrification, and displacement; current solutions rooted in settler colonialism, white saviorism, and scarcity model; BIPOC communities experience generational trauma connected to racist policies (redlining, housing covenants, forcible displacement, predatory lending)

Related Funding: Supporting Frontline Workers Fund and Wellbeing Fund provide additional financial support to homeless sector workers