"We don’t want shelters, we want affordable housing!"
Alicia is the mother of four and an active CCISCO leader at St. Francis of Assisi Church. She was born the same day as the Mexican Revolution; maybe that’s why she decided to lead her own revolution when she received an eviction letter two days after paying her rent on time. In less than a month, with the support of CCISCO’s local organizing committee, Alicia enlisted her congregation’s support (where many shared her experience), gained the attention of city officials, talked to the press and finally won her eviction case in court.Sadly, Alicia’s case was just one of many. The risk of homelessness is severe for Concord’s working families, in part because the City has no just-cause- eviction law. However the only protection available, owning one’s own home, is out of reach for most Monument residents: a person earning a minimum wage will never be able to buy a house in the City.
Alicia was asked if the City should build more shelters. “Why do we need more shelters? What we need is the opportunity to buy a house where we can see our children grow and feel safe without the fear of being evicted with no reason.”