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racial equity, diversity, and inclusion

REDI for Action

Mercy Housing Lakefront’s mission centers on the belief that housing justice is social justice. We have a longstanding commitment to foster racially equitable, diverse, and inclusive (REDI) communities. In 2020, events in the Midwest led the nation to begin a long-overdue racial justice reckoning — a reminder that our work to foster meaningful, positive change is vital. The need for equitable, affordable housing grew because of the pandemic when everyone was forced to spend more time at home — the power of a stable place to call home was more apparent than ever before. Mercy Housing uses a REDI lens to evaluate all operations and decisions. Our REDI work is not part of what we do, it is what we do.  

Providing a place where anyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability level, or age, can live with respect, justice, and mercy is essential to ending cycles of poverty. Decades of housing discrimination have left too many communities of color at a disadvantage and perpetuate systemic racism. This painful legacy, coupled with the pandemic and ensuing economic fallout, widened gaps of opportunity in 2020. Our resident-centered  >>

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>> approach is how we engage with communities by listening, responding, and supporting residents in achieving their dreams. We launched a voter registration campaign, and this was just one of the many ways that REDI conversations turned into action. We supported hundreds of residents to register and vote, some for the first time. A resident’s vote is a way for their voice to be heard and an opportunity to actively participate in the future of their community. 
 
Our relationships with partners, volunteers, and supporters are key to our never-ending REDI work and made our success over the year possible. Mercy Housing Lakefront made one-time donations to the following partners so that communities can be more racially equitable, diverse, and inclusive: My Block, My Hood, My City; DuPage County NAACP; YWCA Southeast Wisconsin; and The Indianapolis Urban League. Racial equity work cannot be done in a silo. It requires ongoing, difficult conversations coupled with fearless action on behalf of everyone. We thank all our supporters for standing with their neighbors to make communities more racially equitable and inclusive for future generations. 

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