CORE VALUES
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We seek to address the root causes of the housing crisis and restore housing justice at the local level through long-term solutions. This means asking why there so many people are homeless in our community, why the cost of housing is unattainable, and what we can do about it.
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We are faith-rooted, each of us operating from our own faith perspective and pursuing justice in a spirit of respect for each other, love for our city, and especially for the most vulnerable. All are welcome, including those without religious faith. We believe everyone reflects God’s image. What would a policy look like where everyone is valued and seen as precious?
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We value collaboration and accountability in a spirit of community within our teams, our meetings, and our city. We seek to hear and affirm each other. We seek understanding and common ground, even with those ideas we oppose. We seek to make decisions by consensus. We build partnerships, celebrate wins, and seek to be democratic.
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We value integrity. We persevere in accurate and careful community-based research to build credibility. We seek the perspectives of BIPOC people and those with lived experience. We seek to create a safe environment whereby all can share their perspectives with honesty, courage, and love. We seek to resolve conflicts and keep our word.
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We value education that empowers and transforms. We equip ourselves and others by starting with our own stories and the stories for those most affected by the housing crisis. We seek the perspectives of practitioners and experts in the affordable housing field. These inform our agendas and education. We also seek to understand God’s story. We educate and train by practicing within a pedagogy that honors cycles of research, action, and reflection.
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We value integration. We seek to awaken our inner struggle and practice speaking truth to power. We integrate our own stories with policy initiatives that restore justice, undo segregation and exclusion. In so doing, we transform our own souls and the soul of the city toward housing justice.
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MHCH Statement Against Racism And Inequity
As people of faith and conscience, we strongly condemn racism, injustice, acts of senseless violence, and any kind of racial inequity. We recognize the need to address systemic racism as well as implicit bias.
In our commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and mutual respect, we seek to create an organization that includes the unheard and marginalized voices. We seek to listen to all people, including communities of color, in order to learn about their housing and other needs to develop ways to expand our housing justice efforts to be more inclusive.
We are committed to working with those who have been and continue to be disadvantaged by unfair housing practices. We are committed to making sure that people of color are represented in all aspects of our work, and also serve in leadership positions whenever possible. Affordable housing and mixed-income communities address gentrification and poverty.
Our goal is not simply to help create more affordable housing, but to create what Dr. King calls the “beloved community.” A community based on love, justice, and equality for all