A message from Geoffrey Morgan, President & CEO:
At First Community Housing, we honor the man that George Floyd was, recognizing his personhood, his humanity. And we denounce the systemic racism and anti-blackness that took his life so callously. We stand with the people of this nation that demand a change because Black Lives Matter.
All members of the housing industry, including First Community Housing, must commit to investigating and combating the housing industry's role in the systematic oppression of black people because we know that in this country black people have historically been denied equal access to housing. This was done by "redlining" neighborhoods to prevent black access to them via discriminatory lending and insurance practices, and other methods used to explicitly exclude black people from white neighborhoods. We also know that government efforts to provide housing have been steeped in racism through housing development practices that supported racial segregation, urban renewal projects that strategically destroyed thriving black neighborhoods, and environmental injustices that located environmental hazards in and near communities of color. This discrimination has marginalized black people, resulting in reduced economic stability, higher rates of asthma and other health risk factors, and disproportionate rates of homelessness in the black community.
We also know that 400 years of racial discrimination will not be solved overnight. We know that each of us, of all races, must commit to practicing anti-racism within our own sphere of influence to bring justice, heal wounds, create meaningful dialog and build equitable communities. First Community Housing is committed to acting in that manner with words, actions, and in attitude toward all we do.