She was nine months pregnant when the incident occurred. The walls of her Washington, D.C., apartment were an off-white color. It’s not the type you’d intentionally choose to coordinate with your crown molding, it’s the type that yellows from years of family dinners and morning coffee. The old apartment had metal grate heaters that kept the whole building just one temperature and steamed up all winter. No one is allowed to choose when to switch off. When it gets hot, I just open the windows and hope that the winter air outside will cool my apartment. But when it got too hot for Jeannie Williams, she didn’t open the windows, screamed loudly, and ran her pregnant belly along the hot iron bars. Her floral dress never stood a chance. And when her ambulance took her to the hospital, they didn’t know if it was because of her contractions or if she lost consciousness.
This is how my mother was born into this world. Before she was two years old, she was adopted by a Jewish family who couldn’t wait to have a girl. And although she would like to say that she fulfilled all the dreams of her parents, it is difficult to carry such a weight. She lived hard and wild, but she charmed many people along the way. Sometimes I talk about her as if she is not alive, but she is. Like many people who have a parent with a mental health or substance disorder, I spent my childhood mourning my mother. Although I never studied pop culture, I went to therapy early on and tried to build my own life. I was never the smartest person in the company, but I worked harder than everyone else. I now have a master’s degree in social work, a successful career, a spouse who is smarter than me and even more empathetic, and together we have her two little girls. I built the life I didn’t have. I gave my children roots and wings.
We chose to move to Palo Alto 10 years ago because it wasn’t just a place for people to sleep and commute. The community told the story. As a social worker and community organizer, I wanted to understand Palo Alto’s history and challenges. Although it never received enough votes to join the committee, it became part of the local organization. I helped pass rent control in Mountain View and founded his first renters association in 50 years in Palo Alto. I worked on developing affordable housing throughout San Mateo County, with a focus on Menlo Park. When an affordable housing complex for seniors petitioned against safe parking for homeless people, I joined residents with the Palo Alto Police Department to overcome their concerns and find solutions. I helped. I ran Palo Alto Forward during the pandemic years. It was at a time when communities were beginning to reimagine our city through the lens of new housing elements. I have advised hundreds of tenants to stop unfair and sometimes illegal landlord practices. Spoiler: Landlords’ worst crimes are often highly unethical, but perfectly legal. And now I’m working on local homelessness data and trying to solve one of the region’s biggest problems. However, no amount of community involvement could prevent me from experiencing the same thing that I have counseled many other families.
After 6 and a half years as a perfect tenant, I received a 60 day notice that my landlord was selling the house and I needed to move. I moved here while I was pregnant with my second child. I gave birth to her just before her Mother’s Day in 2018. When I saw the house for the first time, her daughter, who was three and a half years old at the time, took my hand and said, “Thank you, Mom.” I can’t tell you all the milestones we’ve experienced here. First step. new words. Death of father and grandfather. The loss of the woman who raised me, and the loss of my grandmother. Saturday pancakes and birthday party. Planting flowers that you hope will grow. However, a home is not a series of milestones. It’s a feeling in the pit of your stomach. The state is asking Palo Alto to zone more than 6,000 new homes. But it’s still not enough for families like ours. We are both successful professionally and have good salaries, but we cannot afford to buy a house and rental housing is not enough. When we received the notice, there were only seven of his rental properties available in the city due to a lack of supply, and most were sold above list price. But even if you outbid your neighbors on your next rental, there are no tenant protections strong enough to ensure stability. So I’m off.
While we lived here, we always hoped that housing prices would stabilize. I wish cities would build more and people like us could move from rental property to rental property! Or maybe you can even buy one! However, the period until new construction is permitted continues to lengthen. Debate over the height of apartment buildings and the number of parking spaces continued to make headlines. Instead of looking for trade-offs, people went all out. Regardless of the compromise, we are for or against this. Palo Alto has long been known as a city where even approved apartments can’t be built because of deaths from a thousand cuts. So when I pack for Mother’s Day this year, I don’t want flowers or brunch. I just want my neighbors and friends to let go of the affinity groups that are preventing Palo Alto from changing, growing, and becoming a desirable and welcoming place.
Farewell, Palo Alto.
Angie Evans is a local housing advocate, former executive director of Palo Alto Forward, and co-founder of the Palo Alto Renters Association. You can contact her by email at angiebevans@gmail.com.
