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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
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CONTACT
Omar P. Calimbas
Senior Staff Attorney
HousingRights
Advancing Justice - ALC
omarc@advancingjustice-alc.org
(415) 848-7720
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The Lee Family Finds a Home
San Francisco - The Lee family is pleased to announce that after a long search they have found a new home. Last night, they began to move into a small apartment rented to them by a family with long ties to the Chinatown community. The landlords have asked to remain anonymous and that the terms of the lease be kept private. While the one bedroom unit is smaller and more costly than the apartment from which they were evicted, Ms. Lee reports, "we feel very relieved and grateful for the many people who have made it possible to find a new home."
On September 25, the Lee family and hundreds of supporters rallied in front of the apartment where the family had lived for over thirty years and were scheduled to be evicted by the sheriff. Their protest led to the intervention of Mayor Ed Lee and the agreement by the landlord to delay the eviction. The tenants moved out on October 22 when it appeared that another comparable unit would be offered to them. But that offer was later withdrawn.
"After the family moved out they were left in limbo when an offer of housing was taken back," said Gen Fujioka, Policy Director with Chinatown Community Development Center. "This is an extremely difficult market, but the family never gave up and the public awareness helped us find this unique opportunity."
"The Lees displayed an amazing resilience through a very long and trying period," said Omar Calimbas, Senior Staff Attorney with Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus, who represented the Lees during their eviction court case.
The family has been living in a hotel since October. They are now in the midst of moving and are not available for interviews. They will be making a more full public statement once they have been able to settle in.
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About Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus:
Advancing Justice - ALC was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, Advancing Justice - ALC is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Visit: http://advancingjustice-alc.org.
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