Center for Housing and Health

“One of the hallmarks of White Supremacy is fixing the problem and trying to directly come to a solution rather than sit with the discomfort. Rather than taking the time to really do things right and allow for different levels of work.” When asked about his experience in developing the Center for Housing and Health (CHH) and AIDS Foundation Chicago’s (AFC) Racial Equity Action Plan (REAP), Peter Toepfer, the Executive Director, opened up about the amount of patience and collaboration that was required to produce such an ambitious, but necessary plan for the future of the organization. The plan is a tool for improving and creating more equitable culture and processes at CHH and AFC (CHH is a subsidiary of AFC). As an organization that tackles issues contributing to homelessness and health inequities in Chicagoland, it is impossible for CHH to ignore the intersectionality between these challenges and racial equity. However, REAP is not aiming to be the sole solution for cultural competency within this organization. Peter Toepfer understands that more work is ahead, and that feedback from community stakeholders is encouraged to improve future initiatives.