I grew up on Tulane Avenue in East Palo Alto, a stupendous, vibrant metropolis of 29,000 by the San Francisco Bay. I used to be fortunate to be surrounded by household and associates to have fun the ups and navigate the downs in life. Grandma and grandpa lived down the road, my aunties and uncles have been across the nook, and my associates and cousins have been inside shouting distance. It felt as if, anyplace I used to be within the neighborhood, I might name for assist, name for assist or simply have loving folks round me.
Then in April we abruptly misplaced my childhood residence.
We got 30 days’ discover by an absentee landlord. We have been displaced and devastated. The relocation course of was a nightmare. My household was homeless for 3 months till a rental utility was accredited for a home removed from our colleges, jobs and prolonged household in East Palo Alto.
East Palo Alto is only one of many California communities present process this type of change and displacement of long-time residents.
In my hometown, the seeming lack of metropolis plans and insurance policies to maintain residents from shedding their properties is alarming. The town’s plan for downtown East Palo Alto, the Ravenswood Enterprise District, has some benefit. It consists of jobs and housing for residents and thriving, open group areas with parks. It additionally holds the promise of lasting fiscal solvency for the town by enhancing the tax base.
The Ravenswood plan, nonetheless, additionally anticipates bringing in 1000’s of tech jobs that require a four-year school diploma, though a 3rd of East Palo Alto residents have lower than a highschool training. Why not embrace companies that may make use of the individuals who reside right here now?
Primary economics says that growing the demand for housing will exacerbate rising residence costs and hire. That’s exactly what occurred when Meta (previously Fb) and Amazon moved into the neighborhood.
East Palo Alto wants extra reasonably priced housing. The town is proposing that 20% of all new rental-housing items be reasonably priced to households who make between 35% and 60% of family median earnings (about $83,000). However what number of households would that attain? Not sufficient.
The town wants to ascertain a extra sturdy below-market housing program to extend the provision of reasonably priced properties on the market. Revenue {qualifications} for below-market housing ought to permit low-, moderate- and middle-income renters and consumers.
The town can begin by increasing renter protections. It’s evident that East Palo Alto’s tenant protections will not be sufficient — we had solely 30 days to pack up and go when our landlord determined to promote our home.
Builders usually make guarantees about group advantages, however we’ve been burned earlier than. When Amazon moved in, the roles promised by the developer by no means materialized, partly as a result of the corporate was not held accountable. Given the speedy gentrification of the town, many long-term residents will now not be right here to reap any of the proposed advantages.
Builders should be held accountable. Contracts between a developer and community-based organizations representing residents’ pursuits, also called group advantages agreements, should clearly spell out the group advantages granted in return for assist of the developer’s venture.
These coverage fixes can work in East Palo Alto and communities all through the state the place financial displacement is prevalent.
My household has labored relentlessly to take care of its roots in East Palo Alto as a result of the town is our residence. However we are able to’t reside there as a result of there are not any reasonably priced properties. Do we would like California cities to change into communities that cater solely to higher-income households? As a substitute, we needs to be designing our future to incorporate households in any respect earnings ranges.
California is named a state of innovation. I’m optimistic we are able to innovate to resolve these issues, too.
Heleine Grewe has labored in grassroots group organizing in East Palo Alto since her freshman yr in highschool and is a sophomore at Menlo School in Atherton.
