Addressing the root causes and populations most impacted

Focusing on the conditions that cause people to lose their homes

Homelessness is the result of economic, social, justice and housing systems that make quality housing a luxury, force chronically ill neighbors to sleep on sidewalks, and allow employers to pay wages that do not cover basic needs. The racial disparities we see in homelessness and housing instability are a result of deeply rooted inequities in systems like housing, jobs, and healthcare, which create multiple barriers for Black, Indigenous, and Latino/a/x people to obtain quality education, maintain their health, make a living wage, and secure a decent home.

In 2021 the Trust launched a new Grantmaking Strategy for Equitable Results to intentionally focus on the conditions that drive people into homelessness and housing instability, and the people most impacted.

Basing our work on the theory of aligned contributions, which brings shared focus and accountability to complex goals, the Trust’s focus will address the following root causes:

• Lack of rapid pathways to decent, permanent housing for people experiencing and at-risk of homelessness;
• Insufficient income and assets that create housing instability and expand the racial wealth gap; and
• Racist housing, zoning and land use policies that perpetuate housing instability and homelessness.

Focusing on the populations most impacted

Black, Indigenous and Latino/a/x people with extremely low-incomes are the people most impacted by homelessness and unstable housing situations. To ensure that all members of these communities have safe, stable, affordable housing in neighborhoods that allow them to thrive, the Trust uses three primary strategies:

Supporting anti-racist policy change
The Trust funds advocacy, grassroots organizing and public education efforts to create new, equitable housing and housing‐related policies and directly counter existing racist policies that perpetuate disproportionate housing instability among Black, Indigenous and Latino/a/x communities.

Building and shifting power of Black, Indigenous and Latino/a/x people with extremely low incomes
The Trust funds efforts that build the power and organizing capacity of Black, Indigenous and Latino/a/x people experiencing homelessness and housing instability by investing in their leadership and opportunities to engage with decision-makers.

The Trust invests in research, messaging, narrative change and accountability journalism that shift public perceptions about the root causes of housing instability, and advance equitable housing opportunities for Black, Indigenous and Latino/a/x people with extremely low incomes.