El Tecolote Vol. 51 Issue 21

Page 1

FREE//GRATUITO

PUBLISHED BY ACCIÓN LATINA

Vol. 51 No. 21

October 21-November 3, 2021

CHRISTIAN CONTRADICTION: MISSIONARIES MOVE TO EVICT LONGTIME SF FAMILY CONTRADICCIONES: MISIONEROS CRISTIANOS DESALOJAN A FAMILIA

Alexis Terrazas

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El Tecolote

or the last 23 years, the Foy-Martí family have called the San Francisco Victorian nestled at Blanche and 23rd streets home. Yet, despite the current temporary eviction ban in San Francisco, they are now at threat of being displaced. “This eviction is awful,” said Carmelo, the 12-year-old child of Michelle Foy and Fernando Martí. “But we will push through it. It’s very unjust and not right. And I’ve lived in this house all of my life. I was even born in this house and to be kicked out from this house... is very hard.” On Oct. 12, dozens of community organizers, housing advocates and local politicians rallied in front of the Foy-Martí’s Noe Valley home in support of the family, who have received a 60-day “Owner Move-In Eviction Notice.” Among those present were Supervisors Hillary Ronen, Dean Preston, Myrna Melgar and Rafael Mandelman’s legislative aide, Tom Temprano. According to the Foy-Martí family, the eviction is being carried out by real estate speculators, Peter and Tanya Omran, who allegedly say that they need the unit for their daughter, Tatiana. Martí, an artist, poet and hardened housing rights activist, for years has fought on the front lines against displacement and evictions of fellow San Francisco residents. “It’s tough,” Martí said. “I think because we’re activists, we don’t always think about the toll. Like, ‘I’m fighting. I’m down for the fight!’ The last month, it’s been hard to sleep. It sort of invades your dreams and you wake up at 3 in the morning, just thinking about it...So knowing that that affects me this way, and I’m connected, I think about how it affects other people who don’t don’t have that.” Peter Omran—a Christian Missionary who is the president of the Novato-based nonprofit Heart of Mercy International—and his family purchased the house where the Foy-Martís live and attempted to evict the family in 2019, and even offered the family a buyout. The Omran’s also own a “socially responsible” coffee plantation in Ethiopia, called Abana Coffee. “It seems to me a contradiction between these Christian values and this socially responsible business and the idea that just because you have more money, you can evict somebody,” Martí said. “You wonder, how can these people call themselves Christian, and they’re acting in this greedy way.” The Foy-Martís—despite a local judge ruling against their case earlier this month—argue that the eviction is illegal based on San Francisco’s current eviction ban. The state’s eviction moratorium expired on June 30, 2021, and according to Martí, the Omran’s timed the eviction notice just as the statewide ban on evictions was set to expire. Despite that state expiration, San Francisco passed eviction moratorium extensions. Last October, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors banned “Other Than Non-Payment of Rent” evictions, and that ban has now been extended to Nov. 30, 2021. “But the judges are not paying attention to that. They’re acting against San Francisco’s own law and saying that the state law that ended June 30th, that’s the only one that applies,” See EVICTION, page 10

El Supervisor del Distrito 5, Dean Preston se manifestó a favor de los Foy-Martí, llamó a la orden de desalojo que dicha familia encara como “inconsciente”, “inmoral” e “ilegal”. District 5 Supervisor Dean Preston offers words of support to the Foy-Martí family on Oct. 12, 2021, calling their owner move-in eviction “unconscionable,” “immoral” and “illegal.” Photo: Alexis Terrazas Alexis Terrazas

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El Tecolote

urante los últimos 23 años, la familia Foy-Martí ha llamado hogar a su casa victoriana de San Francisco situada en las calles Blanche y 23. Sin embargo, a pesar de la actual prohibición de desalojo temporal en San Francisco, ahora corren el riesgo de ser desplazados. “Este desalojo es horrible”, dice Carmelo, el hijo de 12 años de Michelle Foy y Fernando Martí. “Pero lo superaremos. Es muy injusto y no está bien. He vivido en esta casa toda mi vida. Incluso nací en esta casa y que me echen de ella... es muy duro”. El 12 de octubre, decenas de organizadores comunitarios, defensores de la vivienda y políticos locales se concentraron frente a la casa de los Foy-Martí en Noe Valley en apoyo a esta familia que ha recibido un aviso de desalojo por parte del propietario dentro de 60 días. Entre los presentes se encontraban los supervisores Hillary Ronen, Dean Preston, Myrna Melgar y el asesor legislativo de Rafael Mandelman, Tom Temprano. Según la familia Foy-Martí, el desalojo lo llevan a cabo los especuladores inmobiliarios Peter y Tanya Omran, que supuestamente dicen necesitan la unidad para su hija Tatiana. Martí, artista, poeta y activista empedernido sobre el derecho a la vivienda, lleva años al frente de la lucha contra los desplazamientos y desahucios de compañeros de San Francisco: “Es duro. Creo que como somos activistas, no siempre pensamos en el peaje. Como, ‘Estoy luchando. Me apunto a la lucha’. El último mes

Decenas de miembros de la comunidad, organizadores de los derechos para inquilinos y políticos locales, reunidos en el mitin llevado a cabo el 12 de octubre de 2021, en muestra de apoyo a la familia Foy-Martí en riesgo de ser desalojada de su hogar ubicado en Noe Valley. Dozens of community members, tenants rights organizers and local politicians attend a rally on Oct. 12, 2021 in support of the Foy-Martí family, who are at threat of being evicted from their Noe Valley home. Photo: Alexis Terrazas ha sido difícil dormir. De alguna manera invade tus sueños y te despiertas a las 3 de la mañana, sólo pensando en ello... Así que sabiendo que eso me afecta de esta manera, y que estoy conectada, pienso en cómo afecta a otras personas que no tienen eso”.

Peter Omran —un misionero cristiano que preside la organización sin ánimo de lucro Heart of Mercy International, con sede en Novato— y su familia compraron la casa en la que viven los Foy-Martí e intentaron desaloVea DESALOJO, página 11


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