Ending Homelessness Requires Becoming Anti-racist
By President & CEO Kevin Lindamood
It’s no surprise that the greatest burdens of a global pandemic fall on Black and Brown people. American public health crises, including homelessness, have always hurt these communities hardest. Racism was woven into our public policies and institutions well before the knee of law enforcement launched a national reawakening to it.
White people like me are disproportionately represented among those who are healthy and housed. We are less likely to die prematurely. When compared with Black and Brown people, whites endure far less violence and jail time, earn higher wages, and have many more options for where we live and work.
Health Care for the Homeless is similar to the vast majority of American non-profits: Our administrative and clinical leadership is primarily white, while most of the people we serve (85%) and the staff who work with them (64%) are Black and Brown. Our systems and structures, created primarily by white leaders, are fundamentally flawed. We must evaluate, redesign and reimagine them.
Earlier this year, we at Health Care for the Homeless promised you, our community, to pursue racial equity and inclusion in all we do—from clinical care to culture and operations. This is not the work of a month or a year, but rather a reorientation that will make us a better, more effective organization and further our mission to end homelessness.
We have begun this work in earnest. Hold us accountable. In addition to the service and advocacy you make possible, you should expect to see clear evidence of our racial equity work in the months and years ahead. We are committing time and resources to ensure that our efforts will succeed. If nothing changes, nothing changes.
Join me on the journey. Read, study, listen and commit to the hard work needed to build a just society. Engage with others through our Community of Practice discussions and Facebook group.
Some have asked if a strategic commitment to racial equity is a departure from our mission. I last fielded inquiries like this three years ago when the agency pledged to build housing for those we serve. The questions are interrelated, the answers the same: Racial equity, like affordable housing, is a fulfillment of our mission. We’ll never end homelessness without achieving both.
More Recent News
Earlier this year, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Bureau of Primary Health Care rolled out 2026 Community Health Quality Recognition Badges. Health Care for the Homeless received four badges
Preparing for reentry starts before release. Discover how Health Care for the Homeless staff are connecting with people behind prison walls, offering support and linking them to resources that can help make the transition home a little easier.
Major changes to Medicaid are coming, and Maryland estimates 175,000 people could lose their health coverage. For people experiencing homelessness, navigating new requirements and maintaining coverage can be especially hard. We talked with Nia Ballard of HealthCare Access Maryland (HCAM) about what’s changing, what she’s hearing from people across Maryland and why keeping people connected to health care matters.
Spend the day with our Fallsway Dental Team and get a behind-the-scenes look at a busy day of cleanings, fillings, dentures and everything in between. Meet the dedicated staff helping clients access the treatment they need while building lasting relationships and healthier smiles.