Racism is fundamental to the United States’ inception: our founding as a nation and economy depended on it. Chattel slavery and the genocide of Indigenous people supplied the labor and land for cotton, our nation’s first economic boon and lucrative export. Through social practice and policy, the U.S. has maintained a racialized underclass and the legacy of policies like redlining, black codes, and the War on Drugs have deeply disadvantaged Black and Brown lives today and will for generations to come.

We see the impact of these policies in the disproportionate rate of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) experiencing homelessness in every single state, understanding that racism is a driver of homelessness. We also see BIPoC disproportionately impacted by both economic losses and deaths by COVID-19 – also due to historic and ongoing systemic racial inequities.

Given what we know about the disparities among people experiencing homelessness and the pandemic, a critical question to ask, which has not received as much attention as warranted, is: How are BIPoC who are experiencing homelessness coping with the additional stressors related to COVID-19?  We know that laudable efforts are underway to house and vaccinate vulnerable people during this devastating pandemic, but we should also be advocating for systems and programs to be just as vigilant about addressing the combined toll of racism, homelessness, and COVID-19 on the mental health of BIPoC individuals experiencing housing instability and homelessness.

In addition to housing disparities, data suggests that BIPoC are far less likely than Whites to receive treatment for behavioral health issues, and this predates the pandemic.  We now have a great opportunity, and the momentum to rethink our strategies for service delivery to BIPoC communities. Many organizations are restructuring their systems in light of COVID-19 and racial turmoil exacerbated by murders like that of Mr. George Floyd.  We should begin to actively build multi-racial coalitions and service approaches to engage in advocacy to address racial trauma and healing.

Employing culturally specific or racially conscious trauma-informed care can help organizations and communities navigate the complexities of racial trauma. Culturally specific care means working to ensure that behavioral and healthcare providers share cultural/racial identities with those they serve, so as to protect from potential interpersonal harm in the therapeutic setting. Racially conscious trauma-informed care should include providers that have a working knowledge of the impact of racial trauma on their clients. Providers and clients can engage in open discussion regarding differences in racial/cultural identities and lived experiences to develop genuine rapport and clients can be invited to share equity related feedback with providers.

Making these changes to reduce racial trauma in homelessness inherently involves changing systems as we currently know them, and we are standing at the precipice of a possible new era of reconstruction. Though we can impact change in our day to day job duties, looking to the broader system is ultimately where we will see an impact for BIPoC experiencing homelessness.

Read the full article about addressing racial trauma by Saba Mwine at National Alliance to End Homelessness.