TL;DR Desiree is a housebound, queer, disabled, Indigenous Latina living with Long Covid, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and fighting eviction amid ICE raids in Los Angeles. This fundraiser aims to raise $25,000 to cover 6-7 months rent and basic living expenses and help avoid an eviction.
Desiree is a career educator and poet who has devoted her life to improving schools for our most vulnerable children. She's been a board member, donor, activist and advocate on behalf of the arts and marginalized folks in her communities.
In 2022 she was diagnosed with acute Long Covid, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Navigating this new debilitated life has been profoundly difficult. Desiree continues to adapt and stay focused on the convalescence required to maintain her current ability level and maybe even recover enough to regain some lost ability.
Cognitive issues like executive dysfunction have made it difficult to access programs and benefits, especially since EDD began using an AI bot to filter claim requests. External factors including the LA wildfires; landlord discrimination, harassment, and eviction; and seven months of ICE terror have made all of her conditions worse.
Desiree had initially planned to work part time, leveraging her role as a national expert in summer learning and out-of-school time to earn enough to tread water and focus on convalescence and rehabilitation. But in 2024 the consulting firm she worked with abruptly ended her contract after she approached them to negotiate an equitable rate (her rate was 20-30% lower than white colleagues working with the firm, including those in support positions on projects she led).
She pivoted to short- and long-term disability applications when it became clear she would not be able to work again. She's made a lot of progress and meeting this fundraising goal would buy her critical time to move her applications forward and hopefully close the gap between her current circumstances and her forthcoming social security income.
Monday, February 2 her eviction proceedings begin. Some key details:
- Desiree’s landlord bought this five unit building for $88k in 2012. Desiree has paid approximately $133k to rent one unit in this building for five years.
- The landlord held a napkin over his face and pretended he was wearing a mask when he came to serve her the three day notice to pay or quit. Desiree realized this when she opened the door and stepped back, moving to close it. He threw the three day notice at her as the door closed in his face. There is video evidence of this.
- His eviction suit includes a higher amount than Desiree owes.
- Without proof she can resume rent payments, no amount of evidence against this landlord is likely to be enough to keep her in her home.
- The city and county of Los Angeles are JUST NOW beginning to implement supports for tenants, seven months into ICE’s terror campaign in the region.
Please give what you can. Even the most supportive process to move homes would be too much for her to handle right now, and this eviction has life threatening consequences. Help us meet this goal to hold Desiree in community at this terrifying time.