93 year old grandmother being evicted. Support needed.

My name is Marcel Borbon and I am fundraising on behalf of my 93-year-old Grandmother, and family. We have now become one of the many victims of gentrification, neighborhood change and Ellis Act evictions that currently plague the most vulnerable community members of East Hollywood, Koreatown and the greater Los Angeles area.

This is not just our story, but the story of countless others throughout the city, state and country. It is the reality of being forced out of the community we call home. I never imagined that my family and I could face the possibility of homelessness. I am at a complete loss of words when I try to contextualize my emotions, and, more tragically, how to abate the fear my grandmother feels — with all her health struggles – COPD, heart disease, severe osteoporosis, to name a few, that she may now have to spend her final days without the peace and stability she knows and deserves.

For nearly 40 years, my grandmother has lived in her apartment in a historic 1927 fourplex in East Hollywood. A place that has been the heart and soul of our family’s story. I’ve been visiting and living next door since I was born—32 years ago. Our family has lived side by side in this building, sharing meals, stories, laughter, tears and a lifetime of memories.

My grandmother’s journey is one of resilience. Like many other Dominican immigrants who fled the political turmoil of the Trujillo dictatorship, my grandmother, Andrea Perez was barely 18 when she arrived in New York City. My grandmother is a fearless and fierce woman who braved many New York winters, but because of her health she relocated with her daughter, Gloria, to the sunny warmth of Southern California in 1963. Despite being presented with the struggles and obstacles of being a single mother, she persevered and pulled her family forward on her own. In 1984 she moved into the fourplex in East Hollywood we call home. She spent nearly 40 years creating memories and raising a family within its four walls. Because of my grandmother’s dedication to family and pursuit of keeping us together, my mother and father followed suit 30 years ago by renting the neighboring unit, making this a multi-generational home for our family. Like many others in Southern California, she dreamed of becoming a homeowner. But being a low income, single mother coupled with the ever-increasing costs of housing, this became unattainable for her and our family. In addition, with her mounting health complications from COPD, heart disease, stroke, and severe osteoporosis, she is now is experiencing the mental and emotional distress of being evicted from the home that has sustained her and her family for the last 40 years.

Similar to so many other families in our neighborhood, the building was sold to a real estate developer in June of 2023, and by October of that same year, all tenants received an Ellis Act eviction notice. Real estate and development companies like, Avenue Homes and K3 Holdings, among others, claim they are improving the community by building “innovative homes to keep up with L.A.’s evolving lifestyle,” but we know this to be deceptive and misleading. These companies operate under the guise and promise of improvement and affordability yet displace long time and native Angelenos in the most violent and harmful of ways. The Ellis Act is a tool and tactic maliciously used by real estate development investors who are trying to make profits by displacing the families and communities that make up the soul of Los Angeles. On our block alone, 6-7 single-family homes have been demolished, and in their place, 3-4-story apartment buildings now stand, charging well over $3,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. How do these improvements help our community and its most vulnerable members when they are creating such inhospitable living conditions for those of us who currently reside here?

We are asking for your help to raise money for a down payment on a house or, in place of that, enough to help find a temporary home for all of us so that my grandmother can spend her last days in a stable and peaceful place with her family by her side without the fear of being evicted again. Although we will receive relocation funds in accordance with a City of Los Angeles ordinance, we must pay federal taxes on it, reducing the amount by nearly 35%. It is not nearly enough to cover the cost of a down payment nor the ever-increasing cost of rent, let alone the emotional and physical distress and harm that these unfortunate circumstances have brought upon our family.

Alongside the funds raised for housing, if necessary, the money would help pay for legal fees and representation. If we cannot find housing, our family plans on having a judge and jury ultimately decide what is fair and equitable in exchange of the 40 years of tenancy and community.

I want to thank you wholeheartedly for taking the time to read our story. Please share and talk about this, especially if you live in Los Angeles. Communities and families across the city are being displaced by companies that put profit over people. If you would like to learn more about the Ellis Act, you can read more at https://la.myneighborhooddata.org/2022/12/ellis-act-evictions/

If you know other families and people going through similar hardships they can find solidarity, knowledge, and power with the Los Angeles Tenants Union. You can find more about local chapters here https://latenantsunion.org/en/

Our story is not unique, and we are not the only ones in need. This displacement and violence is happening everywhere, but with your help, our family will be able to find stability during such a chaotic time. No amount is too small or too large. We may not be able to prevent everyone from becoming homeless, but with your contributions, you can help my grandmother and our family.

Thank you,

Marcel Borbon