My name is Lael and I'm raising funds for Miss D, a community member who is facing housing insecurity for her and her two young adult children:

Miss D is a disabled Oakland elder who has lived in the same home in my neighborhood for 25 years. It’s where her children grew up and where her husband passed away. Over the past few years, someone attempted to commit real estate fraud several times and sell the home. Almost two years ago, it was successfully sold it to a real estate investor (we'll call him Mr. F). The building is a duplex and after evicting the tenants from the other other unit (by threatening them with a variety of incurred charges if they did not vacate), Mr. F came for Miss D and her family.

Miss D has had to consult with a lawyer to work out a deal with Mr F. She now needs at least $3K to pay her lawyer and and pay outstanding gas/electric bills that have been incurred on the property as a whole (despite keeping up to date with bills on her family's unit). Mr. F has also done work on the house without a permit, including re-routing plumbing and electrical work that have caused a variety of problems for Miss D's downstairs unit. The situation has been immensely stressful for her and her family, and the reality is that if Miss D, 66 years old, is unable to pay these bills, she won't have anywhere to go. She has had to resort to collecting and selling cans and bottles for CRV to scrap together money. I want better for her and her family, and I want them to be able to keep the home she's lived in for 25 years.

(for safety and privacy reasons Miss D has asked to have her name abbreviated and her face not pictured. If you have questions feel free to reach out to me directly. If you know me, you know I'm an honest woman and would only keep details of Miss D's identity vague to protect her)