Sound Communities is committed to eliminating racial disparities in housing and achieving racial equity in housing in the Puget Sound region. Racial disparities in housing are painfully evident.
- 56% of African American households and 51% of Hispanic households in King County are housing cost-burdened, compared to only 35% of white households
- People of color are disproportionately represented in the homeless population.
- A consequence of decades of racial discrimination in housing, these racial disparities in housing widen already massive racial disparities in wealth.
Cost Burdened Renters by Race/Ethnicity, 2014
Consequently, new housing and community development must be conducted in a manner that promotes and ensures racial equity. Sound Communities is committed to:
- Applying a racial and social justice lens in the decisions that we make and the policies that we promote.
- Addressing the needs of people and communities of color that may require more assistance than others due to systemic and institutional barriers in order to achieve the same outcomes.
- Adhering to principles of equitable Transit Oriented Development which “combines the [Transit Oriented Development] approach with an equity lens, to ensure that the development serves those who most stand to benefit and to ensure that cost savings are optimized for the public and non-profit institutions that serve users of public transportation. It supports mixed-use developments that incorporate affordable housing in close proximity to high-quality public transit and bolsters ridership goals of transit agencies.” (Enterprise Community Partners)