{"id":25477,"date":"2024-09-02T15:10:19","date_gmt":"2024-09-02T22:10:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/?p=25477"},"modified":"2024-09-05T18:18:00","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T01:18:00","slug":"east-palo-alto-residents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/east-palo-alto-residents\/","title":{"rendered":"East Palo Alto residents demand better housing conditions from developer"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_25478\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-25478\" style=\"width: 1252px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25478 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto.jpeg\" alt=\"East Palo Alto residents demand better housing conditions from developer\" width=\"1252\" height=\"681\" srcset=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto.jpeg 1252w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-300x163.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-1024x557.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-768x418.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-18x10.jpeg 18w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-150x82.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-696x379.jpeg 696w, https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Residentes-de-East-Palo-Alto-1068x581.jpeg 1068w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1252px) 100vw, 1252px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-25478\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">East Palo Alto residents have organized to demand better housing conditions and rent control, particularly at an apartment complex on East Okeefe Street owned by developer Sand Hill Property. Photo: P360P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><em>[We are on WhatsApp.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/whatsapp.com\/channel\/0029VaKsQjT5K3zOISbFea2Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Start following us now<\/a>]<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/2ZLLixdjFu2NJnwYLKdv2X?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">East Palo Alto residents have organized to demand better housing conditions and rent control, particularly at an apartment complex on East Okeefe Street owned by developer Sand Hill Property.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the Peninsula 360 Press mobile booth, East Palo Alto tenant and neighbor Raquel Rodriguez said the conditions they live in are unsustainable, with mold and structural problems having been a constant for at least the past seven years, and while they have requested support for repairs, they have been ignored.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe pay rent for houses that are not in good condition and we have had this problem for a long time, where we have been asking for repairs and they don&#039;t make them or they simply ignore us,\u201d said the native of Michoac\u00e1n, Mexico.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During the program <a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/free-2024\/\">For the Free<\/a>, with Manuel Ortiz, the tenant said that the East Palo Alto Tenants Association is supporting neighbors with problems of this nature so that they know their rights as tenants, including, given the poor conditions in which they live, they could even request a rent reduction or refunds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raquel pointed out that some homes are worse than others, however, mold has become a calamity in most of these buildings that, due to their age or poor maintenance, do not have the sanitary conditions to be a decent home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Added to this are appliances that do not work as they should, affecting the daily lives of tenants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Raquel has been living in the apartment she rents for 10 years and \u201ceverything has gone from bad to worse,\u201d she said, noting that, over that period, there have been three owners of that set of apartments, the latest being Sand Hill Property.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSince they came in, we have been ignored when it comes to repairs, while rents continue to increase every year and we are not bothered by them, they do not care about improving our living conditions in our units,\u201d he stressed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although several tenants have made requests to this real estate developer, they have not been attended to as they should have been, so now, with greater knowledge of their rights, they will formally sue this company to address their requests.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe are already doing it formally with them. Before, it was just a matter of going to the office to leave something for them and months or years would go by and they wouldn\u2019t come to fix anything. With these requests that we are making in writing directly to them or to the offices of the apartment owners, I feel that we have been listened to a little more. At least they have the attention to come and look, although they haven\u2019t fixed much, but they already have the initiative,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The high cost of housing in the area is not an unknown issue. Raquel explained that she pays more than two thousand dollars for a one-bedroom apartment, while the cost of living and the price of rents increase every year.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&quot;What we are asking the owners for is improvements, that they work, that they come and make our repairs, we are only demanding our rights,&quot; he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She also said that their demands include a discount on rent, as they have been dealing with these problems for a long time and have to spend money out of their own pockets to fix them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey don\u2019t understand and we need these arrangements. We are not receiving any reimbursement from them, but because of our rights we can receive rent reductions and refunds. We have been here, in these conditions, for many years and no longer,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Finally, Raquel called on her neighbors who live in the same situation to not be afraid to demand their rights and speak out against the injustices of landlords.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt is very important that you do not let yourselves be intimidated by someone filing a report or raising your voice to demand your rights. Do not be intimidated, come, let us help and support each other as tenants and neighbors that we are. Do not think that they are going to retaliate against us or remove us from our units just for making these types of requests.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An\u00edbal Maciel joined Raquel in her complaint. He is a tenant in East Palo Alto and a volunteer assistant for the Tenants Association in the same city. He has lived in the area for more than 17 years and is fully aware of this problem, because, he said, it has been like this for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The conditions include old carpets and walls, plumbing problems, mold in various spaces and the odor it causes, and poor maintenance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have fixed many of the maintenance problems individually because there was no attention. Based on my experience as a tenant, there was a lot of mold in the bathroom and we expressed the urgency of the problem. There was also a liquid on the ceiling of the bathroom that turned into mold throughout the bathroom. I don\u2019t know if the problem was also due to the ventilation of the apartment, but it got to the point where it became a lot and every time we woke up in the morning there was a strong smell of mold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Unity is strength<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The residents of buildings 201, 245 and 301 have realized that individually they are not heard, but now that they have united they are taken into account.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen we do it individually it is a bit difficult to make changes, but when all the tenants come together they make the change, there is a lot of power in making those changes. What we have seen is that when all the tenants of a building form their associations they are solving problems much faster, if they make a complaint about anything, they come and send a message. There is more power in several than in one,\u201d he explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An\u00edbal said that anyone who lives in these buildings and has problems of the same nature and wants to join the demands can contact him at 650 613 81 77.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to join forces, it is not only important for tenants to unite, but also for organizations that are willing to support their causes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ofelia Bello is a member of Young People United for Community Action (YUCA), which offers technical support to these tenants, whether it be helping them send emails, printing out the petition forms that the tenants need, or even helping them translate and explain complicated and cumbersome terms.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt\u2019s all about technical support, which is sometimes a barrier for our Latino, African-American and Pacific Islander communities. We are here to support them,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThese are still documents that are long, complex, they have words that are very technical, so we make sure to help explain what they mean, how all that paperwork can be filled out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Ofelia Bello, there is a desire on the part of the residents to carry out these requests, \u201cthere is no doubt that this is one of the results of being united among neighbors, among people who support their efforts, like YUCA. We hope that their requests are received seriously, that they are taken into account and that they are resolved in a very efficient manner and as soon as possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bello announced that she is running for a seat on the East Palo Alto City Council this year, where, if she wins, she will continue her nearly nine-year fight to support the city&#039;s residents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf I am elected, this is work that I can assure you I will continue to do, and even if I am not elected, I will continue to do this work. I hope to continue supporting my community in any way I can, and after November as well,\u201d she concluded.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>You may be interested in:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/state-funds-for-affordable-housing\/\">San Jose among cities to receive state funding for affordable housing<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Estamos en WhatsApp.\u00a0Empieza a seguirnos ahora] Residentes de East Palo Alto se han organizado para demandar mejores condiciones de vivienda y control de renta, sobre todo en un complejo de departamentos ubicados en la calle de East Okeefe, pertenecientes al desarrollador inmobiliario Sand Hill Property. En la cabina rodante de Pen\u00ednsula 360 Press, la inquilina [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":25478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,14],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-25477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-community","8":"category-cover"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25477"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25541,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25477\/revisions\/25541"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}