By Beth Harris-Robinson, General Counsel
As I write this, it is the beginning of Black History Month, a month that exists to celebrate the contributions and humanity of Black Americans. It is a good time to point out that affordable housing is important to help right the wrongs of housing policy from the past and to make our communities and world more just. From my earliest memories, Black History Month was a time to celebrate contributions from Americans who had to fight to prove their humanity and to show that they belonged. Few places are more important to belonging than where we call home.
The Denver metro area, like virtually every metro area in the United States, has a history of intentionally excluding people from spaces through laws and prohibitions on access because of race, including whites-only covenants that limited owning and renting a home in desirable communities to white people. Policies from the past continue to impact and shape wealth and access throughout the United States, and the impact of the past is apparent where people call home in the Denver metro area. Building affordable housing in areas that are desirable, and that are resources dense, is an important way to remedy the wrongs of the past, and an important step toward justice.
In law school, I was fortunate enough to take a class from Professor Charles Ogletree, who is famous for his work on race and justice, and he shared a quote that has stuck with me for nearly twenty years: you can do good and do well. At Archway, doing good and doing well is the goal because it aligns with Archway’s mission. Here at Archway, we build affordable housing with the goal of giving people a safe and desirable place to call home. Our mission is to elevate lives by providing access to affordable housing, food security, and the supportive social services people need to thrive. When Black History Month ends, the work of righting the wrongs of the past, the work of justice, continues. And I hope that we, as voters and as neighbors, prioritize and invest in affordable housing because ensuring access to housing is an important part of bringing justice to our communities.
