Addressing disparities in Hennepin County

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In 2017 County Administrator David Hough charged Hennepin County departments to prioritize disparity reduction through all lines of business. The charge: that all work begin from a commitment to reduce disparities among the residents we serve in the ways and places we have influence.

Since then, the county has taken many steps, including:

Identifying seven disparity domain (education, employment, income, health, housing, transportation, justice) areas where county action can have the most impact
Creating a legislative platform that seeks to reduce system disparities, such as reducing the number of families of color involved in the child protection system
Addressing the conditions that drive involvement into the justice system and developing new strategies to assist ex-offenders as they integrate back home
Targeting funding, policies and service delivery to disrupt racism in the response to people experiencing homelessness
Using purchasing power to drive economic development in disadvantaged communities
Training workers for tomorrow’s jobs while helping clients be more self-sufficient
Adopting a Racial Equity Impact Tool to consider how different racial and ethnic groups will be affected by a proposed action or decision and provide a systematic way to engage the voices of those affected by decisions, surface unintended consequences of decisions before they are made, and reveal a wider range of options for policy choices
Creating a Race Equity Advisory Council (ongoing in 2020) to advise the county board on the county’s vision and strategy on reducing racial disparities and advancing racial equity throughout Hennepin County

News

On Tuesday, June 30, the county board voted to declare racism a public health crisis in Hennepin County. Due to racism, Black, Indigenous and People of Color in Hennepin County statistically have poorer educational outcomes, earn less, and are less likely to own homes or have access to quality health care and jobs than White people. These disparities have lifelong impacts, including higher disease rates, and, as we’re seeing now, higher rates of COVID-19. Naming racism as a systemic cause to disparities is key to continue to move this work forward.

Read the news release

Find the June 30 meeting at board meeting videos

Read County Administrator David Hough's response (PDF)

Stories on work reducing disparities

As coronavirus spreads in Minnesota, it exposes racial inequalities (Star Tribune, April 22, 2020)
Hennepin County agrees to sweeping improvements in child protection (Star Tribune, December 18, 2019)
2019 Odyssey Conference Award winner: Homeless ACCESS team, Hennepin County
Hennepin County to hold Juvenile Warrant Forgiveness Day and Community Fair (KSTP, September 16, 2019)
It’s more than just detox — Hennepin County has a new alternative to jail or ER for mental health crises (MPR News, September 4, 2019)
Plymouth police launch mental health initiative (CCX Media, July 18, 2019)
Grants aim to help protect, enhance trees in Hennepin County (KSTP, May 8, 2019)

Race Equity Advisory Council

Mission

The mission of the Race Equity Advisory Council is to strengthen the county’s goal of disparity reduction and to advise the county board and county administration on the county's vision and strategy focused on reducing racial disparities and advancing racial equity throughout Hennepin County.