Two scooter-riding Seniors from St. Mary’s Center volunteered to participate in the March 25 Corporation for Supportive Housing Lobby Day. We investigated the transit options from Oakland to Sacramento and were grateful when the district director for State Senator Jesse Arreguin offered to host a meeting in their Oakland office.

Ms. Lillian Walker and Mr. Lee Williams raced downtown and met up with executive director Sharon Cornu at the State Building. It took extra effort to pass through security, but staff were helpful, and we arrived a little early. We reviewed the helpful documents prepared by CSH about:

• Budget Request: Funding for Medi-Cal Housing Support Services Benefit (Assembly Bill 804 support)
• Budget Request: Funding the Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention Program
• Budget Request: Homeless/Housing Support for LA Fire Victims
• Assembly Bill 1229 (Schultz): Budget Request: Reducing Homelessness in the Prison Re-entry Population
• Assembly Bill 1165 (Gipson): CA Housing Justice Act

We met with Ariana Casanova and Ericka Neal from Senate District 7, and Haley Hester from Assemblymember Mia Bonta’s District 18 office, then with Ilaf Esuf and Daijon Jackson from Assemblymember Buffy Wicks’ District 14 office.

We thanked Assemblymember Wicks’ team for her leadership on AB 804 which would provide housing navigation and support services to Medi-Cal patients as a benefit, because housing is health. We asked for support of AB 1229 to assist people coming home after incarceration with better access to housing and services. We thanked her for sponsoring a $10  billion State housing bond and said that St. Mary’s Center would be involved in local efforts in Alameda County.

We highlighted the need for housing that people can afford, and services that help people complete the obstacle course to go from being unhoused to becoming and remaining housed.

Ms. Lillian said:

To get affordable housing today, you have to have medical issues and be damn near death. You have to get documents and proof of income and DMV.

People have to stand up for themselves, Seniors and people with disabilities. We pay PG&E, we pay rent, we circulate money around to the stores and shops in the neighborhood. We need to bring the money from billionaires into our communities.

Every time I use my key, I remember the 10 years I was homeless. It’s only been three years that I’ve been in my house, and I want to enjoy it!

Mr. Lee said:

St. Mary’s Center put a new attitude on me. Now I give back and stand strong.

I am concerned about families living on top of each other, two families in an apartment. People should only have to pay 30% of their income and have a big enough place to live. I look at the kids today and the opportunity they have for a place to play, to have friends. We allow what happens to youth when we don’t have our priorities straight. We blame the kids but what about our part in it?

Ex-offenders released from prison get only a few hundred dollars for transportation and a fresh start. Is that supposed to house them? I think we can do better than that. 

In the end, we were sorry to miss everyone in Sacramento, but glad we got to share our experiences and ideas with elected representatives. Ms. Lillian and Mr. Lee promised to return to share more information and keep their elected representatives informed and accountable.