More than 100 people filled Fremont Park last Wednesday to launch the campaign to STOP the Menlo Park Anti-Housing Initiative!
Enjoying burritos from Mama Coco Restaurant, interactive stations hosted by local organizations, and speeches from residents and elected leaders, the crowd learned about the intersection of housing, environmental justice, and democracy in the effort to build hundreds of new affordable homes in downtown Menlo Park.
The event opened with Gia Pham of Housing Choices, who shared stories of folks with disabilities that illustrated the crucial role of affordable homes in allowing them to live independently in their community. Over 100 adults with intellectual disabilities currently live with aging parents in Menlo Park.
Next, Katherine Dumont shared her story as a lifelong renter and how local opposition to new apartments feels personal and fuels her commitment to this fight.
Redwood City Mayor Elmer Martínez Saballos and Burlingame City Council Member Michael Brownrigg inspired the crowd with examples of affordable homes that are transforming their downtowns into thriving spaces.
Read on for more about the event
At the “Who Needs an Affordable Home” station, attendees learned about who might live in the new affordable homes downtown and reflected on who in their own lives might need an affordable place to live.
The “Housing Justice” station explored the history of housing segregation, housing scarcity, and environmental injustice in our country and right here in Menlo Park.
At the Safe Routes station, attendees learned why stopping the Anti-Housing Initiative is important to improving bike and pedestrian safety downtown and throughout Menlo Park.
Leaders from The League of Women Voters and The ACLU of Northern California talked with folks about why they oppose the initiative, not only because of the need to build new affordable homes, but also because it threatens our democratic processes and our community’s civil rights.
Youth United for Community Action hosted a station called “The Future is Us.” People shaping tomorrow’s policies must listen to tomorrow’s residents. And those residents want affordable housing.
The crowd fueled up on delicious burritos from Mama Coco Restaurant, served with Menlo Park’s zero-waste party packs (available to borrow for free!).
Local leaders like Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash, Vice Mayor Jennifer Wise (accompanied by second dog, Brewster), Councilmember Drew Combs, and District Director Alex Kobayashi from Senator Josh Becker’s office also joined the crowd.
Huge thanks to the incredible volunteers who made this event possible! Our activators and ambassadors guided attendees through the event and connected them to the campaign. Others registered guests and checked out audio devices. And so many more behind the scenes!
Our wonderful interpreters, Sol Barreto and Liliana Herrera, ensured language justice was at the heart of this event.
Check out our photo album to see all the lovely faces at the kickoff, with photos courtesy of Ed Ebert from ProBonoPhoto.
Dozens of organizers and volunteers made the event possible, and over 100 people showed up! Your support is vital to keep this momentum going as we aim to defeat the anti-housing initiative in November.
Photo Credit: ProBonoPhoto, Ed Ebert
Dozens of organizers and volunteers made the event possible, and over 100 people showed up! Your support is vital to keep this momentum going as we aim to defeat the anti-housing initiative in November.