Toronto Community Housing provides updates on the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Strategy and progress on The Centre’s activities in 2023

Today, The Centre for Advancing the Interests of Black People ("The Centre") released its 2023 year-in-review video, highlighting Toronto Community Housing’s (TCHC) Year Two progress on implementing the Confronting Anti-Black Racism (CABR) Strategy and the 8-Point Plan it laid out.

The 2023 year-in-review video follows a 2023 progress report presented at the February 2024 Board of Directors meeting and features a few of TCHC's partners, including TAIBU Community Health Centre and Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth.

Entering its second year, The Centre continued to build on the multi-year, robust strategy designed to dismantle the historical and ongoing harms of anti-Black racism within TCHC. By strengthening collaborative efforts with external and internal stakeholders, the Centre focused on driving systemic change and fostering inclusive and equitable spaces for tenants and staff.

At the end of 2023, The Centre achieved several milestones, including:

• Offering CABR training to 1,054 staff across TCHC and Toronto Seniors Housing Corporation (TSHC), totalling 6,324 hours through 61 sessions.
• Procuring the services of DiversiPro, a Black-led, anti-racism and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) firm, to work with TCHC’s executive leadership team (ELT) to develop a roadmap to deliver on the EDI and CABR strategies.
• Establishing partnerships to support Black tenants and staff, including Housing Services Corporation, Black Legal Clinic, Eva's Initiatives for Homeless Youth, Black Construction Association, Black Housing Network, Rooftops, and the Black Refugee Association.
• Working with Legal to develop a new tenant human rights policy.
• Partnering with TAIBU Community Health Centre to deliver a mental health workshop to Black tenant leaders.
• Starting recruitment for the CABR Black Staff Advisory Committee.
• Teaming up with the Operations and Development divisions to offer CABR workshops to 630 tenants through 12 initiatives and programs.
• Leading consultations with various business units to scope out and define the best means to collect sociodemographic data.

A detailed summary of the 2023 highlights can be found in The Centre’s 2023 annual update report.

Quotes 

“Toronto Community Housing has a responsibility to confront anti-Black racism, to deliver on real and impactful solutions, and to re-affirm our commitment to the Black tenants and communities that we serve. The progress we have made through The Centre and our CABR strategy has contributed to important milestones and we must continue on this path to fully meet the goals and outcomes of this work.”

- Sean Baird, President & Chief Executive Officer

 

“Forty per cent of TCHC’s tenant population identify as Black. Implementing the CABR Strategy allows TCHC to listen more intentionally to Black tenants and meet the community's needs. There are opportunities for The Centre to work with TCHC and our partners to analyze and change the way we work and provide services. By shifting our focus and dismantling anti-Black racism, we can work towards the betterment of all tenants.”

- Barry Thomas, Director, The Centre Advancing the Interests of Black People