I had the opportunity this week to listen in on a “breakfast meeting” hosted by the Westside Economic Alliance in which Josh Lehner from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis presented information about the recession and eventual recovery. There are so many unknowns, but it continues to be true that people of color are more likely to be in poverty than those who are white, and that the outcome of the ongoing housing instability experienced by people, especially those with lower incomes or living in poverty, that has been created by this pandemic remains unclear. What we know is that when times are hard, those without resources suffer the most.
For people who love data (ME), there was some great information on how this recession is so unlike past recessions, and that the recovery will be different too, for different sectors. It is also true that it will take us, according to the model shared, four years to climb out of the hole we just fell into.
So – we need to make the changes that are in front of us right now to address the systemic racism in our own communities, and we need to pace ourselves to keep working for social justice for a long time, until justice is won.
Today we would like to share this page with regional and national ways to support –
Things You Can Do to Support the Black Community and Promote Anti-Racist Efforts
If you’d like to catch the replay of the Westside Economic Alliance Virtual Forum on the economy –
WEA Virtual Forum – An Economic Outlook (June 11, 2020)
Black Lives Matter.
Thank you,
Rachael Duke
Executive Director
Community Partners for Affordable Housing
