"The police have issued over 12 citations to us in this month alone, just for parking on this empty Bayview street overnight. We are not sure where else to go," explained Janize El, a slight, weary-eyed mother of three who lives in her van with her children and parks in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood close to where she used to be housed.
"I lived in the same apartment for years and then they converted it to a condo and kicked us out. I tried to find another affordable place in the Bayview, but every landlord said my credit wasn't good enough or charged so much I could never afford to pay the rent on my meager income," Janize concluded in a tired voice. Janize is a hard-working mama, holding down two low-wage jobs, taking care of her children and now also caregiving for an elder parent while navigating the endlessly criminalizing world of houselessness. |