SAN DIEGO — Local families and children gathered at Colina Del Sol Park to rally for tenant rights.
Rahmo Abdi is a mother of six kids and she is currently renting her home.
"I grew up in City Heights. I witnessed our community is threatened by gentrification. We want to grow up and we want our kids to grow up where they were born and not move away from where they are," said Abdi.
She said the last remaining emergency COVID tenants protections are set to phase out on September 30, leaving low income tenants in San Diego more vulnerable than ever.
"Our families will be at risk of eviction. We want our children to have futures in homes and near their communities," said Becca Ayala, Policy Associate at PANA. "We need to build a broad base of support by gathering the community to educate them about the issues."
Abdi is also the Interim Director of PANA, the Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans, an advocacy club that supports the inclusion of refugees nationwide, including affordable housing.
"Pushing them out is emotional. They see this as their home," said Abdirahman Saeed who lives in City Heights.
PANA and its partners are urging the San Diego City Council to ensure tenants are afforded protections from wrongful evictions and unnecessary displacement. Their goal is to update the City of San Diego’s 2004 Right to Know law to a strong and enforceable Tenant Protection Ordinance (TPO).
If passed, the TPO will provide protections and relocation assistance to renters; something that Abdi and other families hope can happen soon.
"Hundreds are rallying together to pass this protection for themselves and the community and also hopefully one day this will pass," said Abdi.
"We need change, we need change," said Saeed.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego City Council to vote on expanded renter protections (May 2022).