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Commitment to Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Our Vision: A world where everyone has a decent place to live. 

 

Habitat for Humanity Northumberland is committed to promoting equity and diversity within all the communities where we build and all the places in which we work. Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, every person has the right to be free from harassment and discrimination.  

 

Our organization prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following grounds, and any combination of these grounds: 

  • Age; 

  • Ancestry, colour, race; 

  • Citizenship; 

  • Ethnic origin; 

  • Place of origin; 

  • Creed; 

  • Disability; 

  • Family status; 

  • Marital status (including single status); 

  • Gender identity, gender expression; 

  • Receipt of public assistance (in housing only); 

  • Record of offences (in employment only); 

  • Sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding); and/or 

  • Sexual orientation. 

 

We are committed to developing a strategy that will address equity and diversity in all our workplaces and programs. Most importantly, the development of our strategy will ensure that we are actively listening to communities who experience barriers, discrimination, or harassment in our neighbourhoods and in our programs. We commit to learning from listening and working alongside our diverse community to identify, prevent, reduce and, when possible, remove barriers. We also commit to incorporating our learnings into our policies, procedures, and training for all those who participate in the Habitat programs in Northumberland County. 

 

We believe in respect, equity and dignity for all who come to Habitat for Humanity Northumberland.  

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Statement on Reconciliation and Cultural Principles 

As an organization committed to implementing the principles of Reconciliation, Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s culture needs to be influenced by Indigenous culture. Habitat for Humanity Northumberland’s Board of Directors and staff commit to the following cultural norms throughout the governance and operation of Habitat for Humanity Northumberland:

 

Diversity and Inclusion:

•Respect for diversity is not limited to the color of skin, disability etc. Respect for the diversity of thought, opinion, perspective of others within the collective whole is equally critical.

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•Inclusion means FULL participation –questions and discussions lead to the best outcomes.

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•To assist in this regard, HFHN staff will undertake cultural competency training on a regular basis with a particular focus on Indigenous culture.

 

•HFHN will ensure that all appropriate gatherings commence with Indigenous land acknowledgements and will seek guidance from indigenous organizations on how to meaningfully implement this acknowledgment.

 

Communication:

•Listen with patience and understanding –everyone has a story.

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•Keep others informed; share / provide information as requested.

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•Seek first to understand others vs being understood.

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•Ensure everyone has a voice and that each voice is heard and understood.

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•Tone and manner are important –questions are important.

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•Knowledge must be shared in an effort to help each other and build understanding –no one person is considered ‘better’ than the other.

 

•Communicate with the intent of being supportive and helpful.

 

Interpersonal:

•Develop and maintain meaningful relationships and trust is critical for the organization to operate and work toward the best possible outcome.

 

•Demonstrating empathy, sensitivity and understanding for the feelings of others knowing that what we say, how we say it and what we do may impact individuals.

 

•HFHN Board and staff will strive to a relationship of mutual partnership, where both staff and Board are striving for common objectives and impact. Collaboration:•Cultivating and maintaining respectful relationships; always strive to be on good terms with others.

 

•Actions are for the good of the group –they are not for personal gain or self importance.

 

•Ideas of others are sought out in an effort to achieve the best outcome.

 

•A community of sharing exists; everyone is expected to ‘roll up their sleeves and contribute’.

 

•Information is not considered a source of power –it is a shared service.

 

•Collective decision-making and involving others in decisions that may impact themselves or the organization.

 

Representation and Governance:

•Issues impacting Indigenous peoples within HFHN must be discussed and led For Indigenous Peoples, By Indigenous Peoples.

 

•Where possible, Indigenous representatives will represent HFHN for external purposes on issues impacting Indigenous housing.

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