COLUMBIA, Md. (June 4, 2020) - The Enterprise Green Communities team stands in solidarity with Black people in America reeling from the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and George Floyd.  And we stand with protestors across the nation who are calling for accountability and deep change.

We built our program fifteen years ago to challenge the status quo, to deliver homes that are not only affordable but are healthy, efficient and environmentally responsible. But that work has not been sufficient.

Today, the communities that we serve have been disproportionately impacted by Covid-19, both in how they’ve experienced severe illness and through economic devastation.  We recognize that these burdens are layers upon a tall stack of inequities with racial discrimination at the foundation. Systemic change is necessary.  Inequitable housing policies have a long history in our country, from redlining that has led to community disinvestment and loss of generational wealth, to site selection policies that ensure increased community vulnerability to our changing climate and inordinate health burdens.

Creating healthy, efficient, environmentally responsible and resilient affordable homes is only possible as a standard practice when we address racism as a root of our inequities. We are committed to becoming an anti-racist program, to listen and to be an ally, to lift up BIPOC voices, share our learnings, and be accountable to improving our role in moving to an anti-racist system. 

Our Chief Executive Officer Priscilla Almodovar outlines in her statement that racial equity will be a central pillar of Enterprise’s new strategic plan across our policy, capital, and programs work.  We are listening and learning, and will model the change we wish to see to transform these systems of racial, social, and climate injustice.

Sincerely,

Krista Egger
Esther Toporovsky
Lauren Westmoreland
Shelby O’Neill
Frederick Zindell
Jocelyn Groom