Housing Story:

Growing up in a tight-knit Palestinian family, living under my grandparents roof along with my uncle’s family seemed normal to me. However, I soon learned in school that living in a cramped home with 9 people is unusual. My family has lived in the Bay Area since my grandparents immigrated in the 70s, and though they carved a better life for me and my family since immigrating to the United States, establishing a life in a foreign country leads to generational struggles. As my father and his siblings were trying to assimilate into the country, they also had to work jobs as children to help support their parents as a low-income family. Even after I was born, my father and extended family had to continue to support my grandparents to pay off home expenses while also trying to support their own families.

Housing affordability is a generational issue, turning a fundamental human right into a privilege. Being a teenager and a student, I fear the future effects of housing inequality for younger generations. I advocate for affordable housing because I am advocating for people who will come after me, for housing inequality does not temporarily affect a family, it passes down for generations.