Social Justice
Emily Lohman, Jordan Hansen, Isabelle Webber
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Defining Social Justice (Emily)
Social Justice relates to justice in terms of the distribution of resources, privileges, opportunities, and wealth within a society. Social justice can be generally viewed as the just and fair relations between any given individual and society. Often times, defining social justice is difficult and open to interpretation, however, this definition is sufficient in relation to housing.
Social Justice In Relation to Housing (Isabelle)
Housing in Milwaukee is a complex issue. There are many intersecting reasons as to why someone may struggle to find housing, whether it be bad credit, poor eviction history, poverty, low wages, or lack of education. Social justice contributes to this because there should be fair relations between individuals and society, but often in housing there is a lack of social justice. Housing is not distributed evenly, which is what the nonprofits we worked with attempt to address in different ways.
Revitalize Milwaukee and Social Justice (Jordan)
Our Experience at Revitalize Milwaukee
We started our morning at Revitalize Milwaukee by meeting the staff and hearing a little bit about the organization’s mission to address housing issues in Milwaukee by serving seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Then, we spent a few hours working to clean and organize supplies in one of their warehouses. Finally, we returned to the Revitalize Milwaukee office to learn more about how their organization functions and hear some stories about how they have helped specific individuals.
Revitalize Milwaukee's Focus on Social Justice
- One of the main focuses of social justice is ensuring that individuals in a society have equal access to resources. For this reason, Revitalize Milwaukee strives to help specific populations who may have less access to resources than others. By focusing on seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities, they strive to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources.
- Another way that Revitalize Milwaukee focused on social justice was by engaging high school and college students as interns with the organization. They emphasized the importance of engaging students in conversations about housing issues and bringing a variety of perspectives to their organization. In order to strive for social justice, it is important that everyone is invested in addressing the issues in the community, and this includes the student population.
The Guest House of Milwaukee and Social Justice (Emily)
Our Experience at The Guest House of Milwaukee
At the Guest House of Milwaukee, our group was tasked with going outside and picking up as much of the garbage on the grounds and the surrounding area as possible. We collected probably 10+ full bags of garbage within just a 2 block radius. After the cold temperatures were starting to get to us all and we had made a considerable improvement on the state of the grounds, we moved inside to made cards congratulating the men on their progress in their rehabilitation programs for the monthly celebrations.
The Guest House of Milwaukee's Focus of Social Justice
- The Guest House of Milwaukee strives for social justice in a variety of ways, including providing homeless men the opportunity to speak with someone in order to get placed in a shelter suitable to their needs.
- The Guest House provides services for men who will be staying short-term, and for men who will be staying long-term who are in need on services for addiction, mental health issues, or for men who are veterans.
- This organization is somewhat unique in that they provide mental health and addiction care right on their grounds, and give homeless veterans apartment-like facilities to stay in.
- The primary motivation of the Guest House is to give homeless men the resources to receive necessary services and the opportunity to get off the streets and strive for improvement in their situations.
House of Peace and Social Justice (Jordan)
Our Experience at House of Peace
Our day at House of Peace began with a tour of the entire building to see all the services they provide. We were able to learn about their clothing bank, food pantry, religious services, space for hosting community events, health care services, and more! Then, we split up into groups to help with some smaller projects. About half of our team worked with the House of Peace staff to help organize the food pantry. Others worked with staff members to help compile records of all the individuals who have benefited from the food pantry services over the past year.
House of Peace's Focus of Social Justice
- One of the ways that House of Peace strives for social justice is working to ensure that individuals in their community have equitable access to opportunities. For example, it may be difficult for someone to get a job if they do not have access to professional clothing that they can wear for their interview. For this reason, one of the areas that House of Peace’s clothing bank specializes in is helping individuals find clothing they can wear for their job interviews.
- Another specific resource provided at House of Peace is legal advice. This service relates to social justice because it ensures that individuals have the resources they need to advocate for themselves.
- Finally, House of Peace provides health education programs as part of their health clinic. This relates to social justice because they understand that providing equitable access to resources also involves focusing on prevention to break the cycle of any given issue.
ACTS Housing and Social Justice (Isabelle)
Our Experience at ACTS Housing
Our day at ACTS Housing started with an orientation with their organization and a presentation. We learned that ACTS Housing takes a different approach to the problem of eviction and homelessness in Milwaukee. ACTS Housing supports prospective homeowners by assisting them in financial planning and searching for an ideal house. By an ideal house, ACTS Housing doesn't necessarily mean a brand new home. These homes could be in pretty bad shape, but with ACTS Housing's resources, these houses can be transformed into homes and renters can be turned to homeowners.
ACTS Housing's Focus of Social Justice
- ACTS Housing strives for social justice by making home ownership possible for families who may not be able to own a home in a traditional way
- They create homes for families by assisting in rehabilitation to homes that are foreclosed upon. Families can buy these homes at extremely reduced rates and flip them, saving them lots of money in the long run.
- They save these families money by reducing their monthly payments, because instead of paying rent they are now only paying off loans that they took out for the rehab of their home.
- ACTS Housing gives families independence through homeownership. This relates to Social Justice because these families can have independence from welfare or assistance programs when they own their homes.
What We Learned About Social Justice
Emily
Participating in this experience has truly impacted me and my outlook on housing and non-profits in general. I went in with the expectations of gaining knowledge on housing and the problems Milwaukee and elsewhere face in relation to housing, but I walked away with that, and so much more. One of the most impactful things I learned was just how many people are involved with non-profits and are invested in helping people and working toward solutions to the most prevalent and heartbreaking problems countless people across the country face daily. It’s very easy to get caught up in our own lives and the negative parts of the world, so experiencing this trip and working with non-profits and my incredible team members, I was able to take a step back and see the positivity that fills the world and our communities. It is important to appreciate the good in life and to use privilege to speak up for those who don’t enjoy those same privileges. After going on this alternative spring break, I am driven to speak up against social inequalities and doing what I can counter them and promote social justice for everyone.
Jordan
A great deal of my learning about social justice was related to the fact that in order strive for social justice, it is crucial to consider how several intersectional issues relate, as opposed to thinking about just one issue at a time. It seems relatively easy to think about building or restoring safe, affordable housing to address housing issues. However, after developing a better understanding of how racial issues, gender issues, social class issues, and a variety of other barriers contribute to housing issues, I have realized that the problem is much more complex. The organizations we worked with taught me that social justice is about looking at issues comprehensively, and it is essential to consider both the personal issues a person may be facing as well as the systemic issues that impact larger groups. This learning will definitely impact the way I look at issues in the Iowa City community. When thinking about social justice issues, I will strive to think more critically about all the factors that may be contributing to a situation as opposed to thinking about individual issues in isolation.
Isabelle
My entire life I have grown up around real estate and housing. This trip was incredibly impactful in the ways I view real estate. I have always known that buying a house is a difficult venture, but I never knew just how impossible it would be for those of lesser privilege or resources until going to ACTS Housing. This was so incredible to see from a different perspective. I truly admire the work that they do because it is a unique way to address social inequality and create social justice. They are essentially making a privileged endeavor, getting a loan and owning a house, available to people who have never thought this was possible before. This is such a worthy cause that truly impacts the Milwaukee community and takes a system that is difficult and makes it accessible. I think about ACTS Housing often when I talk to both of my parents, who are licensed real estate agents. I hope to someday go back and volunteer more with this incredible organization that gives people an opportunity they never would have had before. They are truly addressing issues and creating social justice.
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