June 2, 2020
Dear Habitat Community,
In light of recent events, I am moved today to address the issues of inequity and injustice that are making headlines even as we grapple with a global pandemic. Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity stands unequivocally against police violence and vigilantism, including the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor (and countless more).
We are all called upon to seek justice and care for one another in these unsettled times. People of color have been systematically denied access to the strength, stability and self-reliance of homeownership in America and it is time for that to change. Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity is part of a long tradition of caring for our neighbors but there is still more work to do.
Let us bring our best selves forward as we do the hard work of building a new world based on care, compassion and respect. Let us reach out to our neighbors and affirm their right to safety and security. Let us be humble in this work and listen to others.
As we face the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic, we are offered an unexpected opportunity for creating change. As Arundhati Roy recently said, “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next” (source).
You may be wondering if swinging a hammer is one of the things you can do to help build the new world you want to see. During the current phase of re-opening, Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity has adopted outdoor work safety guidelines for a small group of regular weekly volunteers to begin construction again. However, for their safety and yours, we are not opening up volunteer opportunities to the general community at this time. Our office will remain closed to the public for at least phase 1 and 2 of the Massachusetts re-opening plan. Our construction update:
- Inside the home on lot #2 Glendale Rd contractors are busy with finish work tasks to get the homeowners in this summer.
- Walls will be raised in June on lot #1 Glendale by regular volunteers – stay tuned for an online celebration and video of this important step.
- A shed for storage is being built in Shutesbury by regular volunteers to prepare for a future wall raising on the main house.
Please be in touch with your ideas and your support.
Megan McDonough, Executive Director
“For centuries, structural racism in the U.S. housing system has contributed to stark and persistent racial disparities in wealth and financial well-being, especially between Black and white households. In fact, these differences are so entrenched that if current trends continue, it could take more than 200 years for the average Black family to accumulate the same amount of wealth as its white counterparts.2
While homeownership and affordable housing are not a panacea for eliminating entrenched racial inequality, lawmakers must make amends for past and present harms by enacting new laws designed to expand access to prosperity for all Americans.”
Solomon, Maxwell, & Castro. 2019. “Systemic Inequality: Displacement, Exclusion, and Segregation: How America’s Housing System Undermines Wealth Building in Communities of Color.” Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/systemic-inequality-displacement-exclusion-segregation/