2022-2025 – Part II SFCLT Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Statement.

The experience of SFCLT board and staff in recent years established that racial equity- diversity, equity and inclusion- needed to become front and center of our organizational priorities and embedded into every level of our policies and practices: not only in the composition of our board, and in our hiring practices, but also in placing racial equity at the heart of our acquisition strategy by specifically seeking out projects with majority BIPOC residents.

SFCLT conceptualizes DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) in the following ways:

  • We believe that diversity—the richness of different lived experiences, especially of those who are marginalized—is essential to achieving racial, economic, political, and social justice.

  • We believe equity is not just about fairness and non-discrimination; it’s also about transforming the structures of oppression and inequities that exist under racialized capitalism through altering the ownership and distribution of wealth in our society. We strive to change the material circumstances of those communities who have been historically denied access to wealth due to race, ethnicity, gender, and class.

  • My emancipation lies in your emancipation. In recognition of this deep interdependence, we uplift and listen to marginalized voices - including seniors, those who live with disabilities and those with language barriers - often drowned out by more dominant voices.

SFCLT operationalizes DEI in the following ways, understanding that acknowledging and taking responsibility for our mistakes is the glue that holds SFCLT together:

  • We strive for our staff, board, and leadership to reflect the communities that we serve through direct representation on our board, in our hiring practices, and in cultivating our membership, and facilitating leadership in BIPOC and low-income communities.

  • We acknowledge that we are not the rightful stewards of this occupied land. We acknowledge the harm of white supremacy and white privilege in the history of housing and land ownership. In acknowledging these truths, we strive to be accountable for creating a safer space/more equitable and affordable housing for BIPOC communities to thrive and flourish in San Francisco.

  • In communicating differences of opinion, we are committed to treating one another with respect. This includes assuming the best intentions and understanding that mistakes will be made.