Lessons Learned from Manifestations of Racism in Workforce Development and Housing Systems Workshops
A new homeowner holds the key to their house.
One of Chicago Jobs Council’s policy and advocacy planks is Changing Systems. As employment services often don't align well with the needs of people experiencing homelessness, we work with Chicago's homeless-response system to make jobs more accessible. Over the past few years, we have co-led the Employment Task Force of the Chicago Continuum of Care. We advocate for the workforce and homeless-response systems to collect better information about the housing and employment status of the people to whom they provide services. This work is inherently rooted in equity. Black people make up 73% of Chicago’s homeless population but only 29% of the city’s total population.
In alignment with our anti-racist framework, we partnered with Clair Minson (Sandra Grace, LLC) to lead three workshops focusing on anti-racism, workforce development, and the homeless response system. Throughout these sessions, participants shared their own experiences with race and racism, developed an understanding of how racism has impacted the workforce development field (including a historical overview and providing current context), explored the language of racism and oppression, and reflected on how incorporating a racial equity framework could create a positive change in each other’s work. The goal of these workshops was for attendees to increase their understanding of the manifestations of racism, the implications of it in the workforce and housing systems, and the impact it has on people accessing services within those systems.
To understand the impact of these sessions on attendees, we partnered with TR Consulting Group to create a report based on the findings from these workshops. We learned that these workshops were a great first step for discussing this enormous issue, and there is a need (and desire) to learn more.
Some participants cited that racism undoubtedly impacted their roles as direct service providers. One participant shared that she experienced clients with high levels of trauma and anger and noted that structural oppression heavily impacted those she works with. She expressed wanting more training. The report also notes other outcomes, such as:
Participants noted racism in the workplace and the lack of culturally diverse representation in leadership and positions throughout their organizations.
Workshop attendees said they checked their personal biases and questioned their assumptions more often after they had the training.
Participants noted wanting more racial equity training embedded in practice and systems support.
The present study demonstrates an appetite for Employment Navigators and Housing Case Managers to learn more about racial equity issues as they relate to their professional duties. Participants at the workshop appreciated these sessions as a training opportunity and that they served as a stimulus for questions and the desire for meaningful follow-up.
Our work on the Employment Task Force will soon transition into Employment and Income work. However, the stated goals will not be changing as we continue to advocate for an anti-racist workforce development system that ensures policy alignment of services across government systems so that beneficiaries are not denied by bureaucracies that create more obstacles for those most impacted by systemic racism.