• AB 1816 (Bryan): A continuation of last year’s AB 328 (Chiu), which Chrysalis also supported. Would seek to create housing and workforce training programs specifically for the reentry community, including permanent supportive housing, grants and rental assistance, and other forms of direct support.
  Resource Link: AB 1816 Fact Sheet / Los Angeles Times Op-Ed
• SB 914 (Rubio): Seeks to reduce gender bias and disparities in outcomes in California’s response to homelessness by embedding a focus on domestic violence survivors and other vulnerable populations into local homelessness plans. Set for hearing March 29.
• AB 2670 (McCarty): Will create CA RISE (Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise) which would provide funding and technical assistance to employment social enterprises and connect them with local public partners, training providers, and private sector employers.
  Resource Link: AB 2670 Fact Sheet
• AB 1720 (Holden): Will remove the candor trap (requiring people to self-report their conviction history) from California Department of Social Services applications and implement a simplified criminal record exemption process. This will increase access to CDSS regulated careers for individuals with a background in the justice system.
• Care First Community Investment: Chrysalis also sent a letter to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors urging them to fully fund Care First Community Investment (CFCI, formerly Measure J) which seeks to invest in youth and small business development, job training, housing services, and alternatives to incarceration.
  Resource Link: Los Angeles Times Op-Ed

• AB 1597 (Waldron), AB 1599 (Kiley), and AB 1603 (Salas): All three of these bills sought to roll back the reforms of Proposition 47. All still in Committee.
  Proposition 47 was a referendum passed by voters in November 2014, which converted nonviolent offenses, such as drug and property offenses, from felonies to misdemeanors. The measure also required that money saved as a result of the measure would be spent on prevention and treatment programs designed to keep individuals out of prisons and jails. The measure affected both future convictions and allowed for those incarcerated at the time to petition for resentencing. In addition to saving hundreds of millions of dollars and reducing our overall prison population, reducing nonviolent offenses to a misdemeanor rather than a felony increases the likelihood that individuals can secure housing and employment, which are key to reducing recidivism. Proposition 47 also helps to fund opportunities such as Chrysalis’ SECTOR program. Rolling back the provisions of Proposition 47 would be expensive, overly punitive, and would reduce the ability of individuals to rebuild their lives.
  Resource Link: LAC DHS Prop 47 Two-Year Report

The post Systems Change Advocacy Work – 2022 Quarter 1 Update first appeared on Chrysalis.

Let’s celebrate these bills that passed and were signed!

• AB 333 (Kamlager)-Participation in a Criminal Street Gang: Enhanced Sentence: this law will reduce the situations in which an enhanced sentence can be applied based on a revised definition of “pattern of criminal gang activity.”
• SB 779 (Becker)-California Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act: adds “Employment Social Enterprise” and worker co-op language to the California WIOA to encourage local Workforce Development Boards to partner with innovative work models that support those with barriers to employment. Now that this shift in language has passed, we need to work with the state and federal government to ensure that proven models of employment social enterprise are included in infrastructure efforts going forward.

Keep an eye on these bills, which are continuing in the next legislative session:

• AB 717 (Stone)-Prisoners: Identification Cards: ensures provision of an ID or driver’s license for eligible individuals upon release from a state or federal correctional facility or a county jail.
• SB 678 (Rubio)-Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act: makes California the first state in the nation to recognize unaccompanied women as a distinct population in order to improve the state’s ability to design programs and strategies to address their specific needs.

While we are disappointed that other initiatives to address workforce development, homelessness, and criminal justice reform did not pass the California legislature this year, we will continue to work with our network of partners and collaboratives to support our clients and communities going forward.

In other policy news, the County of Los Angeles has fully funded LA:RISE via Measure H, recognizing that investing in employment social enterprise will get folks in our community working again and help reduce homelessness. In addition, the federal HR 4338 (117^th)-Expanding Pathways to Employment Act, which supports the operation and expansion of evidence-based workforce development and post-secondary education programs, including employment social enterprises, is still moving through Congress.

The post Systems Change Advocacy Work – 2021 California Legislative Session Update first appeared on Chrysalis.

Though our work is centered around direct services, we recognized that we had not just an opportunity but an obligation to advocate and seek social justice. We knew we could do more to support our community and with guidance from Chrysalis staff, we began taking steps to become actively anti-racist within our organization.

One of the first steps Chrysalis took was reimagining our DEI Steering Committee as an action-based group that would not only ensure the organization was making progress on our DEI Action Plan, but lead the charge – as well as manage modifications and additions to the action items. Since then, the DEI Committee – with the support of the rest of the organization – has:

• Welcomed more members from our Chrysalis Enterprises and Finance & IT departments, as well as our Director of HR, in order to be more equitable.
• Spearheaded the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), such as the BIPOC Group, which seeks to influence the policies and culture of Chrysalis with the aim of creating a safe space that celebrates diversity and the experiences of staff of color through the installation of equitable practices.
• Rewritten the Chrysalis Employee Handbook with a DEI lens in order to clarify workplace policies and amend those that no longer aligned with the organization’s values.
• Audited and approved new trainings, such as unconscious bias webinars, ethical communications guides, and an anti-racism workshop.
• Overseen the creation of a DEI landing page on our website, and more.

Chrysalis focused efforts on supporting BIPOC-owned businesses in Southern California, modifying work hours and policies for permanent and transitional staff in order to be more accommodating of varying schedules and circumstances. Beginning last summer, we also now provide Justice Work Free Days, and during the 2020 elections, Chrysalis publicly endorsed a slate of ballot propositions and measures that would impact the lives of those we serve. In light of the recent uptick in hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders this Spring, the Chrysalis community and staff came together once again to share resources and create space for difficult yet important conversations, including welcoming guest speakers to discuss direct action opportunities with the BIPOC Group.

While our communities have learned much over the past year and progress is underway, there is still more to be done to support BIPOC every day. As we make our way through 2021, at Chrysalis, we are continuing to hold conversations with community leaders, our supporters, staff, and clients to make tangible change in our workplace culture and in the community beyond our walls.

We are committed to remaining open to learning and to continuing to share with our larger community. We encourage you to email DEI@ChangeLives.org if you have ideas and feedback.

The post This past year & DEI at Chrysalis first appeared on Chrysalis.

Over the years, Chrysalis has steadily provided our organization’s knowledge and support to advocacy efforts. We are looking forward to finding new ways to share information with our community about what we are following and the conversations in which we are including our voice and expertise. For this post in our newsroom, we have compiled a brief list of local, state, and federal policies and bills on which we have been working during the first half of the year.

Over the past several months, in partnership with a range of organizations and collaboratives working to address employment, homelessness, and reentry, Chrysalis has signed on in support of legislative and budget initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels. Here is a list of some of the efforts we are watching:

County of Los Angeles

• LA:RISE & Measure H: Chrysalis encourages the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to fully fund LA:RISE via Measure H; now is the time to invest in workforce development and employment programs, which are both essential to our community’s pandemic recover and vital to the County’s goal to end homelessness.
  Resource Link: LA:RISE Flyer

State of California

• AB 71 (L. Rivas)-Bring California Home Act: establishes a dedicated ongoing state investment in long-term solutions to homelessness
  Resource Link: Follow @BringCAHome on Twitter
• AB 333 (Kamlager)-The Step Forward Act: amends the state penal code relating to criminal gangs and thus, begins to address the harm caused by the widespread and indiscriminate use of gang enhancements in sentencing – a primary driver of the mass incarceration of BIPOC
  Resource Link: AB 333 Fact Sheet
• AB 717 (Stone)-Prisoners: Identification Cards: ensures provision of an ID or driver’s license for eligible individuals upon release from a state or federal correctional facility or a county jail
• SB 424 (Durazo) & AB 675 (Bloom)-California Homeless Hiring Tax Credit: creates access to meaningful employment and pathways to careers for individuals experiencing homelessness by offering tax credits to employers of eligible individuals
• SB 678 (Rubio)-Unaccompanied Women Experiencing Homelessness Act: makes California the first state in the nation to recognize unaccompanied women as a distinct population in order to improve the state’s ability to design programs and strategies to address their specific needs
  Resource Link: SB 678 Press Release from the Downtown Women’s Center
• SB 679 (Kamlager)-Our Future Coalition: creates a single affordable housing solutions agency for Los Angeles County modeled after the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority
  Resource Link: Our Future LA website
• SB 731 (Durazo)-Sunsetting Criminal Records Act: implements a comprehensive system to seal criminal and arrest records
• SB 779 (Becker)-California Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act: adds “Employment Social Enterprise” and worker coop language to the California WIOA to encourage Local Workforce Development Boards to partner with innovative work models that support those with barriers to employment
• Chrysalis has also signed on in support of the creation of a Statewide Reentry Workforce Services Fund as part of the Governor’s budgeted proposal to fund workforce development. An inclusive and equitable recovery must include targeted workforce investments for people returning home from incarceration.

Federal

• COVID Relief and Recovery Funding: Chrysalis encourages the inclusion of targeted relief funding that includes homelessness and housing investments ($32 billion was allocated for homelessness assistance, emergency rental assistance, and emergency housing vouchers in the COVID Relief Bill passed by Congress in March), as well as workforce development investments in subsidized and transitional employment programs and employment services for the reentry population.
• RESET for America’s Future Act: provides new resources for state and local governments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program, including increased federal reimbursements for job training programs
• Social Innovation Fund: Chrysalis strongly supports the re-establishment of the federal Social Innovation Fund, a project that ran from 2009-2016 and provided vital investments in nonprofits nationwide to foster economic opportunity, healthy futures, and youth development.

The post Systems Change Advocacy Work – 2021 Quarter 2 Update first appeared on Chrysalis.

According to data from Stop AAPI Hate, nearly 3,000 reports of anti-AAPI discrimination were filed between March and December of 2020. Research from Cal State San Bernardino showed a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes last year. These numbers have continued to grow in 2021, most notably in places like Los Angeles with some of the largest Asian populations in the United States.

As Chrysalis stated in May of 2020, we have long been committed to social justice and challenging inequities. And in light of this violence in our communities, we want to share the following updates and resources:

Chrysalis Updates & Response

• Read this message from Chrysalis President & CEO Mark Loranger.
• We recognize that the economic impact of the pandemic has hit communities differently, and we tailor our approach to provide individualized support to each of our clients and their circumstances. Prior to the start of the pandemic, the unemployment rate for Asian Americans was 2.8% — lower than that of whites, Blacks, or Latinxs. But Asian American unemployment soared to 15% in May 2020, and it was still 10.7% in August 2020 — well above the rate of 7.3% for whites and the Latinx rate of 10.5%; only African Americans had a higher jobless rate of 13%. By December 2020, the Asian American unemployment rate had fallen to 5.9%; however, in the final three months of 2020, almost half of jobless Asian Americans had been out of work for at least 27 weeks – a longer term than any other ethnic group.
• We are reimagining the role of our Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee as leaders within the organization in helping shape our internal and external response during this movement as well as revisiting our DEI Action Plan published in September 2019. Additional investments are being made in DEI-focused training for staff and Board members.
• We will be joining the movement to #StopAsianHate and to amplify the voices of Asian American activists and organizations fighting for justice on our social media channels.
• During this time, additional spaces are being created where staff can come together and have honest conversations about how we are doing and how we can best support each other.

Anti-Racist Resources & Action

• Explore ways you can help in your everyday life with this list from V Magazine.
• Learn more about these recent situations from the Los Angeles Times:
  • Anti-Asian hate crimes and harassment rise to historic levels during COVID-19 pandemic
  • Editorial: The hate Asian Americans face
• Read testimonials on StandAgainstHatred.org, a site launched by Asian Americans Advancing Justice.
• Throughout the pandemic, US Chinatown neighborhoods and their businesses have struggled more than most due to racism and xenophobic attitudes. Support Asian-owned business in your community.
  • Check out Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED) for ways to help in Los Angeles.
• Read through Stop AAPI Hate’s list of safety tips for those experiencing or witnessing hate crimes.
• Check out more ways to learn about bystander intervention, anti-discrimination legislation, places to donate, and more from Mashable.
• Donate:
  • GoFundMe launched its own #StopAsianHate campaign with the AAPI Community Fund.
  • Asian Americans Advancing Justice tracks cases of racism and xenophobia in the US.
  • Stop AAPI Hate fights for AAPI rights as well as offering resources and legal assistance to victims of hate crimes.
  • AAPI Women Lead amplifies the voices and stories of Asian American women.
  • AAPI Progressive Action is a political advocacy group working to increase the political representation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
  • Check out this list of 50 ways to donate in support of Asian Communities from The Strategist.

The post Stop AAPI Hate first appeared on Chrysalis.

• SUPPORT Prop 16 
• SUPPORT Prop 17 
• OPPOSE Prop 20 
• SUPPORT Measure J 

Proposition 16 – “Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment”

What it will do: Proposition 16 is a constitutional amendment that would repeal Proposition 209, passed in 1996, from the California Constitution. Proposition 209 stated that discrimination and preferential treatment were prohibited in public employment, public education, and public contracting on account of a person’s or group’s race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin; thus, Proposition 209 banned the use of affirmative action involving race-based or sex-based preferences in California.

Why we are endorsing Prop 16: A wide range of individuals and organizations point to Prop 16 and its restoration of affirmative action as a critical tool for ensuring equity. We believe this proposition will address systemic inequities, helping our clients and their families and in keeping with our organizational values of equity and inclusion.

Learn More: Ballotpedia on Prop 16  |  Yes on 16  

Proposition 17 – “Voting Rights Restoration for Persons on Parole Amendment”

What it will do: Prop 17 is a constitutional amendment that would allow people on parole for felony convictions to vote in California.

Why we are endorsing Prop 17: Currently 50,000 Californians, including many of our clients, do not have the right to vote. We feel strongly that these individuals have a stake in our community and should not be punished by continuing to have their voting rights denied upon their release from incarceration. By voting yes on Prop 17, California would also be aligned with 17 other states and the District of Columbia, which allow those on parole to vote.

Learn More: Ballotpedia on Prop 17  |  Yes on 17    

Proposition 20 – “Criminal Sentencing, Parole, and DNA Collection Initiative”

What it will do: This initiative would increase criminal penalties and amend several criminal justice reforms that were passed between 2011 and 2016, including AB109, Prop 47, and Prop 57.

Why we are opposed to Prop 20:  We have seen many of our clients positively impacted by earlier criminal justice reforms, which were focused on reducing the California prison population. We know that one of the best ways to reduce recidivism is to help individuals get back in the workforce as soon as possible. Prop 20 will unnecessarily roll back important reforms, leading to increased incarceration rates and the wasting of millions of taxpayer dollars on prisons, when those funds could be better spent to support our communities.

Learn More: Ballotpedia on Prop 20  |  No on 20  

Measure J – “Re-imagine LA – Alternatives to Incarceration”

What it will do:  Measure J would allocate at least 10% of existing locally-controlled County revenues to community investment and alternatives to incarceration – things like health, housing, and jobs.

Why we are endorsing Measure J: It is often said a budget is a reflection of our values. Los Angeles County spends 42% of its budget on law enforcement. We support Los Angeles County spending at least 10% of existing resources on initiatives that build up our communities and support essential services related to housing, health, and jobs. 

Learn More: Ballotpedia on Measure J  |  Yes on J     

We encourage our supporters to learn more about these important ballot measures and to take action for our clients and our communities.

The post 2020 Ballot Propositions & Measure Endorsed by Chrysalis first appeared on Chrysalis.

The report acknowledges a steeply rising rate of people falling into homelessness and that 59% of the unsheltered adults experiencing homelessness for the first time cited economic hardship as the cause. An estimated 82,955 people became homeless during 2019, an estimated 52,689 “self-resolved” out of homelessness, and 22,769 people were placed into housing through the homeless services system. LAHSA summed this up with the stark reflection that, “an average of 207 people exit homelessness every day – while 227 people become homeless.”

These pre-pandemic numbers should be ringing in all our ears, and at Chrysalis it is another sharp confirmation of why we believe our employment-focused services are vital. We are a resource and a haven for people experiencing homelessness to create and navigate any barriers to the workforce, but we have long realized that we are also a vital service for anyone who may be at risk of losing their housing due to economic hardship. Preventing people from losing their home or living with housing instability, especially if it is due to job loss, is constantly front of mind for us.

To understand why this is happening, LAHSA’s report outlines factors that contribute to the cycles and funnels of homelessness that our community is in. In the press release distributed by LAHSA, Executive Director Heidi Marston is quoted as stating, “We can settle for nothing less than ending homelessness for those who experience it and stopping it before it begins for anyone else. That requires us to increase our housing supply. It requires us to transform our foster care, health care, criminal justice, and other systems to stop them from pushing people into homelessness. And it required us to dismantle the legacy of racism that still shapes our region’s vast inequalities of income, wealth, and opportunity.”

Putting aside the understanding that we are and are going to be faced by the impact that COVID-19 will have on our community, here three things that we should pay attention to from the LAHSA Homeless Count right now:

1.      Two-thirds of adults stated that “economic hardship” has caused them to experience homelessness.

The April 2020 California EDD jobs numbers for Los Angeles County stated an unadjusted unemployment rate of 20.2%. Every major industry saw a reduction, and the total nonfarm employment rate decreased by 15%, or 685,000 jobs, in April. It is the largest month-over employment downturn in contemporary record-keeping and now leads over the decline recorded in January 2009 when we lost 127,900 jobs.

The impact of sweeping unemployment is falling on the shoulders of rent-burdened, low-income individuals and families. The cost of housing has been explicitly drawn out and put at the forefront of LAHSA’s last few years of reporting. The 2020 count and response specifically cites that homelessness starts rising when median rents in a region exceed 22% of median income. The median rent in Los Angeles is nearly 50% of the median income. LAHSA notes that the 39% increase in the number of sheltered family members may be attributed to better methods of counting and reporting but the rise is also absolutely correlated to the financial pressures on low-income families.

Inequity of intergenerational wealth and overall wealth is linked to various hardships experienced by low-income individuals and families in America. Wealth or savings make it possible for people to transition between jobs, move into homes, and respond to emergencies. Children of families with the ability to support them during their education will be better positioned to build their own financial security. One example to pay attention to are the hardships experienced by people with involvement in the criminal justice system. Criminal backgrounds have made it historically difficult to regain or gain stability. The State of California has more than 4,800 legal restrictions on people with criminal records – that remain even after serving sentences. 

There are approximately 300 occupations in California that require licensing and the average worker who applied to the Department of Consumer Affairs for a license paid $300 in fees and spent 549 days in training before passing an exam. It takes support and money to do all of these things. The ability to successfully advance to a place of generational wealth or long-term financial security is not equally stacked in Los Angeles where economic opportunities for high-paying jobs depend on educational backgrounds and the housing market is at a premium. Furthermore, wages have not kept pace with the cost of rents, and renters in Los Angeles need to earn $41.96 per hour to be able to afford the average monthly asking rent of $2,182. That hourly wage is 2.8 times the City of Los Angeles’ minimum wage. People faced with something like this are vulnerable to housing instability and less likely to create a savings and safety net of wealth for themselves and their families. It is imperative to advocate for fair chance hiring. It is important for people to have equitable access to training and educational opportunities. It is vital that housing becomes more affordable and that wages keep pace with the cost of living.  

2.      34% of people experiencing homelessness are Black.

While Black people represent 8% of the Los Angeles County population, they are 34% of the people experiencing homelessness. Just over a year ago, LAHSA released a report and recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness. The first of nine key insights states that, “For lasting change to occur, institutional barriers across agencies and mainstream systems must be dismantled to eliminate the racial disparities and systemic racism…” The housing crisis, low wages, and interconnectedness of housing instability with  incarceration as well as the child welfare system are also key factors that contribute to the disproportionately high rate of members of the Black community experiencing homelessness.

Cited in the Ad Hoc report was a study by the University of California, Los Angeles Labor Center, the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, and the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment. At the time of that report, 17% of Black workers in Los Angeles County were unemployed, compared to 9% of White workers. And findings also revealed that while education helped bridge the gap, it did not completely erase it, because 9% of Black workers with at least a bachelor’s degree were unemployed, compared to 7% of White workers.

Inequities among the employed further magnify the depth of racial bias in the economy as shown in the study’s findings. Whether working full- or part-time, Black workers earned less than three-quarters of what White workers earned. Among Black full-time workers in Los Angeles County, 30% were low-wage workers (people who earned $13.49 per hour), and Black households had the lowest median income and were more likely to be below the poverty line compared to any other racial group.

There is a 50% gap in resume callback rates between Black-associated names and White-associated names, according to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Employer discrimination and hurdles to finding employment were echoed in LAHSA’s Ad Hoc Committee listening sessions. Another topic during listening sessions with the Ad Hoc Committee was access and availability of training programs. The availability of training needed to advance and increase employment opportunities are reported as lacking, but there are also barriers to being able to advance skills through further education that may include transportation, childcare, cost of programs, and cost of living expenses. A report by PolicyLink and PERE stated that the Los Angeles region would experience a skills gap and by 2020, 44% of the state’s jobs would require an associate’s degree or higher – yet only 34% of Black Angelenos held a degree at that level. 

Racial bias in the workplace and opportunities in education or training have led to limited representation of Black people in the economy. As a result, more Black people are working lower-paying jobs and jobs where there are fewer opportunities for advancement. Hiring and application processes veiled with discrimination and implicit bias must be addressed. Chrysalis emphasizes the need for participation and action from employers to ensure that there is fair chance hiring for the reentry population – especially as the criminal justice system is another space where Black people have disproportionately been represented.

3.      227 fall into and 207 people exit out of homelessness daily.

An estimated 82,955 people became homeless during 2019, an estimated 52,689 “self-resolved” out of homelessness, and 22,769 people were placed into housing through the homeless services system. In the report, LAHSA cites that 555,105 Los Angeles households are severely rent-burdened according to US Census ACS data and that a California Housing Partnership report finds that 509,000 new affordable housing units are needed.  

The LAHSA report notes what is working in the right direction to address how the system has been able to improve its response for people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. It notes that the Housing Central Command has been able to increase the speed of placements and that three years into the 10-year investment from Measure H, the county’s homeless services system has doubled the number of annual housing placements. This effort came into play at great speed as the community responded to protect the most vulnerable people from COVID-19 and provided safe spaces for 6,010 people since the March safer at home order – 4,056 through Project Roomkey, 1,708 in Rec and Parks shelters, and 246 in trailers. 

The goal has been set to move 15,000 people into housing and prevent those currently sheltered from returning to homelessness. This number is at the center of the agency’s COVID-19 Recovery Plan. The areas of the plan cover prevention with an aim at preserving affordable housing, addressing income insecurity, and housing stability. The rehousing services, housing creation, and outreach efforts are the four additional components. 

Chrysalis is committed to working with our community through this crisis. Every day, staff meet people where they are at and address basic needs and employment goals. The people we serve have been made more vulnerable due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resources and economic opportunities are at the ground level of what needs to be stabilized and, to do so, inequities in the system must be addressed. We recognize the significant steps forward that LAHSA and our shared partners have been able to accomplish, especially since the adoption of Measure H. With more affordable housing and more fair chance hiring, Chrysalis clients will not just navigate barriers, but hopefully remove barriers.

Sources

• LAHSA News Release
• LAHSA Report Presentation
• Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation website
• Repairing the Road to Redemption in California
• LAHSA Report and Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness
• An Equity Profile of the Los Angeles Region
• LAHSA COVID-19 Recovery Plan

The post Thoughts from Chrysalis on the 2020 Los Angeles Homeless Count Pre-Pandemic Results first appeared on Chrysalis.

Remember that every number and percentage point is a person.

May’s labor report calculated a decline in the nation’s unemployment rate down to 13.3%, but for African Americans, the number grew to 16.7%. In a recent Los Angeles Times article, the paper reported on these numbers and highlighted the economic inequities and “California’s historic expansion of incarceration” that have impacted this community and created barriers so difficult to navigate that when employment is obtained, it often must be supplemented with another job in order to make ends meet. Inequities in access to and type of work are further illuminated by the fact that 48% of essential workers who have been working during the pandemic in California are Black, and they are experiencing the highest rate of deaths from Covid-19 – 26 per 100,000 residents in Los Angeles County. Furthermore, 4% of the folks who tested positive or died from Covid-19 in Orange County were African American, though they only make up 1.7% of the local population.

More than a year ago, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released a report and recommendations on Black people experiencing homelessness. The report found that more than one-third of the individuals experiencing homelessness are Black in a county where they make up 9% of the population. Further, the ad hoc committee reported, without mincing words, that structural racism, discrimination, and unconscious bias in housing, employment, criminal justice, and child welfare policies have led to overrepresentation of Black people experiencing homelessness.

Showing up for each other. Bringing the numbers together for change.

For 36 years, Chrysalis has been focused on helping people secure employment and identify their path toward achieving their personal goals. We envision a community in which everyone has the opportunity to work and thrive. It is painfully evident that systemic racism is something that will thwart the pathway to our vision.

Above, we shared a link to LAHSA’s report about Black folks and their experience with homelessness. If we pull back our lens and look nationally, 40% of the individuals experiencing homelessness in the country are Black. That is also the exact same percentage of Black Americans in the incarcerated population, despite representing 13% of the US population.

At Chrysalis, half of the individuals who access services are Black, 60% have been involved in the criminal justice system, and 81% have experienced unstable housing. Things like housing or seeing if there is an opportunity for record expungement are key groundwork items that Employment Specialists cover with clients before much of the job search work can even get underway. That’s what we can do on the surface, but we also strive to seek ways to get down to the root.

We have been able to ask for and receive a seat at the table with collectives and advocacy groups addressing these root issues. To recognize a few from more recent years, Chrysalis has been grateful to add our voice on behalf of our community to proposals such as Measure H and Proposition HHH as well as initiatives led by LARRP, the United Way of Greater Los Angeles’ Everyone In campaign, and the Provider Alliance to End Homelessness. 

It is imperative that we continue to dedicate our energy and support behind those in our community who are working toward systemic change. Among key advocates are Black Lives Matter, JusticeLA, Ground Game LA, the Los Angeles Black Worker Center, the LA County Public Defenders Union, and many more. Please consider learning more about these entities by visiting their websites, following them on social media, and getting involved.

Learn more about our internal and external response and access resources to help you take action. Thank you for supporting Chrysalis in changing lives.

The post One Community’s Journey first appeared on Chrysalis.

We have long been committed to social justice and to challenging the inequities that have blocked access to employment opportunities for those we serve. Amidst the systematic racism that has been and is killing our fellow citizens, loved ones, coworkers, and neighbors, we wanted to share with you the following updates and resources:

Chrysalis Updates & Response

• Read this message from Chrysalis President & CEO Mark Loranger.
• We are reimagining the role of our Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Steering Committee as leaders within the organization in helping shape our internal and external response during this movement as well as revisiting our DEI Action Plan published in September 2019. Additional investments are being made in DEI-focused training for staff and Board members.
• As an organization with fundraising, operations, and programs needs and expenses, we will make an intentional effort to support local Black Businesses in procurement of goods and services.
• During this time, additional spaces are being created where staff can come together and have honest conversations about how we are doing and how we can best support each other. A Justice Work Free Day was also provided for all staff to utilize as they wish.
• Hundreds of our transitional jobs employees are essential frontline workers, providing cleaning and support services throughout our Southern California communities. As curfews have been put into place, we have modified work hours and provided letters with written details about work schedules and have been extremely flexible as clients juggle schedules, to support our hundreds of workers providing essential frontline services.
• Unfortunately, there have been multiple incidents where transitional employees were stopped by the police when they were on their way to or from work. Most were permitted to continue without incident once they provided the requested documentation that they were travelling for essential work; however, others were held longer and forced out of their cars. This gets to the heart of what Black individuals face every day.

Anti Racist Resources & Action 

At Chrysalis, we want to support organizations and movements that are working to address racial disparities in our community and across the US. Thus, on our internal communications network, we put out a call to our staff organization-wide for key resources and ways all of us can support the Black Lives Matter movement below:

• Take Immediate Action
  • Explore ways you can help: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/.
  • Learn more about the Black Lives Matter movement: https://blacklivesmatter.com/.
  • Listen to and engage with Black-led organizations by visiting their websites, signing up for their mailing lists, following them on social media, and donating to their causes. Check out this list compiled by Liberty Hill.
  • Support Black-owned, local businesses – start with this list published by the LA Times: https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-06-03/black-owned-businesses-in-los-angeles.
  • Utilize this short, non-exhaustive list of tools for the White Anti-Racist Journey compiled by Cynthia Freeman, Senior Program Officer at Community Partners.
  • Read and share Good Good Good’s beautiful post on How to Become Actively Anti-Racist, which summarizes an essay by acclaimed Professor Ibram X. Kendi.
  • Check out the Obama Foundation’s compilation of resources to get informed, get engaged, take action, and stand together: https://www.obama.org/anguish-and-action/.
  • Adopt a state: https://votesaveamerica.com/.
  • Understand and advocate for action around the racial disparities among people experiencing homelessness by reading the Report & Recommendations of LAHSA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness: https://www.lahsa.org/documents?id=2823-report-and-recommendations-of-the-ad-hoc-committee-on-black-people-experiencing-homelessness.pdf.
  • Follow Chrysalis partner LARRP to learn about advocacy efforts in our criminal justice and reentry systems: https://www.lareentry.org/.
• Legal/Financial Resources and Volunteer Opportunities
  • Support bail and legal defense funds for protestors: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory,  https://www.gofundme.com/f/peoples-city-council-ticket-fund, and https://linktr.ee/ActionBailFundLA.
  • NLG-LA is coordinating attorney volunteers to help on the criminal defense team that is defending hundreds of protesters. No criminal defense experience is necessary. NLG-LA will be holding a training for those who want to join the mass defense team soon and will have mentor volunteer attorneys to guide you. If you are interested in taking on a protester case, please contact Rachel Steinback at SteinbackLaw@gmail.com to be added to the volunteer list.
  • NLG-LA also needs attorney and non-attorney Legal Observers to attend the protests and deter and document law enforcement violations of civil rights. If you are interested in serving as a Legal Observer, you should sign up to attend NLG-LA’s Legal Observer Training this Thursday at noon. You can RSVP here.
  • Contribute to a memorial fund:
    • I Run with Ahmaud GoFundMe fundraiser for Ahmaud Arbery
    • Justice for Jacob Blake GoFundMe
    • Official George Floyd Memorial Fund
    • In Memory of Tony McDade
    • Justice for Breonna Taylor petition
• Read & Reflect
  • Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • How to Be an Anti-Racist, by Ibram X. Kendi
  • The 1619 Project, by various authors, New York Times magazine
  • So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo
  • When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, by Patrisse Khan-Cullors 
  • White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race, by Robin DiAngelo
• Watch & Listen
  • Advancing Racial Equity Webinar Series, hosted by the American Public Health Association
  • Codeswitch podcast, produced by NPR
  • Seeing White podcast, produced by Scene on Radio
• Engage on Social Media
  • Black Lives Matter social media tools: https://blacklivesmatter.com/social-media-graphics/.
  • Follow and amplify posts from the following accounts:
    • Black Lives Matter Global Network:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Black Lives Matter Los Angeles:  Facebook  |  Instagram
    • BLD PWR:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Chinatown Community for Equitable Development:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Everyone In:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • From Privilege to Progress:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Ground Game LA:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • JusticeLA Coalition:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Los Angeles Black Worker Center: Facebook  |  Twitter
    • Los Angeles County Public Defender Union:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Movement for Black Lives:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Rachel E. Cargle, Academic, Writer, Lecturer:  Instagram
    • Shifting the Culture:  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • TheSourceLA:  Instagram
    • Street Watch LA:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
    • Unapologetic Street Series:  Instagram
    • We the Urban:  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter
  • Hashtags to consider using:
    • #BlackLivesMatter and #BLM
    • #SayTheirNames #SayHerName #SayHisName
    • #JusticeFor______ (e.g. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #JusticeForTonyMcDade)

While Chrysalis has been a champion for our clients and has been working to address systemic inequities for years, we also recognize that there is always more to learn. We are committed to being open to that learning and to continuing to share with our larger community. We encourage you to connect with us if you have ideas and feedback. We will update this post with additional resources and information periodically.

Originally posted on 6/3/2020 at 4:30 p.m.

The post Black Lives Matter first appeared on Chrysalis.