Organizations in North Fair Oaks feel weight of gentrification

The organization has served the North Fair Oaks community by providing services for low-income and immigrant families. At Generations United’s core is its Academic Enrichment Center, an after-school space for students, said Founder and Executive Director Angie Ibarra Miller.

Initially operating at various school sites, the organization found a home in North Fair Oaks in 2021. In December of 2023, they were told they would have to move.

“We’re going to go somewhere else, we’ll always be able to go somewhere else, that’s not the issue,” Ibarra Miller said. “It’s what it’s doing to this community and how we won’t be on this corner anymore.”

The Generations United organization was based at 895 Second Ave., where it rented half a building from a taqueria, on a parcel just barely in Redwood City’s jurisdiction — the parcel directly behind the building is considered North Fair Oaks, in an unincorporated Redwood City.

Two blocks down from the nonprofit’s location was KIPP Excelencia Community Prep, which sent many of its students to Generation United’s after-school programs.

Building connections

As an intern with the organization, North Fair Oaks resident Enrique Rodriguez spent his time building connections with the students who attend their educational programs, serving in a “bigger brother” role.

“We would walk down this block, do races,” Rodriguez said. “All these memories here, it’s very sad to see them go.”

There is something about remaining near home that allows children to feel safe, and particularly safe enough to feel free to be a kid, Rodriguez said. As a child of immigrants himself, Rodriguez said he can relate closely to the demands many of these kids can face, in an effort to help their parents as much as they can.

“Some of these kids can’t be a kid at home,” Rodriguez said. “It was just a really nice place for them to relax and be who they are.”

Rodriguez’s mom crossed the border from El Salvador with his older brother more than 20 years ago, met Rodriguez’s father at Hoover Park, and built a life in North Fair Oaks, or what is known as Little Michoacán. He said his story is similar to many of those who live in the area.

“It’s very inspiring to see how strong they are regardless of how much they’ve done though,” Rodriguez said. “I believe a lot of the parents in this community are exactly like them, they work really hard hours, hard jobs, out in the sun. It’s really tragic that Stanford is coming in and taking GU away from the families around here.”

Instead of walking down the street, students now have to take a bus to a site more than two miles away, increasing the cost for transportation, excluding some families who cannot pick up their kids, and requiring more insurance of the nonprofit, Ibarra Miller said.

Generations United is now sharing a location with The Salvation Army at 660 Veterans Blvd.

Walkability has been a focus of cities throughout the county, and especially for Redwood City as it looks to build housing and communities that can deincentivize car use. Acknowledging the difference in governance between the city and the unincorporated community, Ibarra Miller thinks the irony is worth noting.

“We’re not even asking for much, we’re just trying to be here in the community,” Ibarra Miller said. “Now we’re going to be an hour away by walking.”

Displaced church

Serving the immediate community and neighborhoods is also a goal for Verbo, a church in North Fair Oaks that has been helping families in the area for more than 20 years.

In addition to Sunday service led by pastor Orlando Cardona, the church has an indoor soccer field where families come nearly every night for games. They also come to the church for school tutoring, martial arts thousands of meals provided twice a week. Food distribution at the church occurs every Wednesday afternoon and Friday evenings, serving around 1,700 families a week, Cardona said.

“This building is being used every single day to provide help to the North Fair Oaks community which is a community with the [most] needs in the Bay Area,” Cardona said.

Located at 2798 Bay St. since 2008, after bearing a 3% yearly rent increase, Cardona said the landlord has now raised rent by 25%, or $5,000, beginning Nov. 1. The church usually pays rent through service offerings, given by attendees who are often North Fair Oaks residents.

Though he said this first month they should be able to make rent, the future is uncertain. Cardona said this is particularly concerning considering the closure of similar food distribution services in the area in recent years, and the displacement of other services in North Fair Oaks, including Generations United.

“We aren’t trying to get money to do something, we’ve been doing something for over 25 years,” Cardona said. “Whoever wants to find out about what we are doing as a family service program, they can come to the area and talk to the people of North Fair Oaks.”

Doña Mary Navrete first visited Verbo to pick up food, and shortly after became more involved, now organizing other volunteers to help families. Navrete said she found refuge in the church, and hopes it can remain in the community.

“For me, it’s been very important to be here because it’s been a big benefit for me and my family because I’ve been able to bring food to my table and now I’m able to help my community as well,” Navrete said in Spanish. “I live three blocks away from the church, and my community is here.”

The church has seen a dip in attendees over its years because many families are moving away due to increasing rents, Cardona said. With the church’s own rent hikes, Cardona feels like the burden shouldn’t just rely on the already spread-thin neighbors.

“We are surrounded by big companies all around the North Fair Oaks community,” he said. It would be great if all of these companies would get together to help, but we haven't received any help from them.”

Development agreement

In Generations United’s case, the development partnership between Stanford and Redwood City is the source of their displacement. The development agreement was established in 2013, and was approved for its first 10-year term extension Oct. 9, 2023. Though the agreement outlines community benefits and financial contributions, these are provided to the city.

After being told that the location was being bought by Stanford for further development, Ibarra Miller said she negotiated as much as she could, for both the nonprofit and the North Fair Oaks community at large. Suggestions included opening up their gym or pool facilities to the neighborhood, or allowing teachers at the middle school be able to park in their parking lots — which Ibarra Miller said are consistently empty. None were agreed upon.

“The hardest part for us has been that the facility across the street that was built six years ago, is like a third utilized,” Ibarra Miller said. “You have the greatest minds, the greatest resources filled with talent, doctors, educators, but they don’t see how they can contribute to an area that they’re taking away from.”

Stanford University and Stanford Health Care said “as a part of our continued work in the community” it has supported Generations United in ensuring a smooth relocation and minimized operation disruptions, a Stanford spokesperson said.

“Generations United continues to receive grant funds from Stanford to support their health equity work and has use of the university’s open space facilities for their community events,” the spokesperson wrote in an email. “While we understand they have additional requests for amenities, we regret that we are unable to fulfill these requests.”

Gentrification continues to encroach throughout the Bay Area, but nearly a quarter of those living in North Fair Oaks live in poverty, and many low-income residents simply cannot keep up with the rising cost of living. The same goes for community-established safe spaces.

“That’s why it would be great knowing they are coming to the area with a purpose and not only just taking places,” Cardona said.

With continued displacement of resources and families, many in the area are losing hope, Rodriguez said.

“They think ‘Oh it’s just a matter of time that they buy our homes,’” Rodriguez said. “There’s no sense of hope in the community, they’re all just kind of accepting defeat. This area used to be filled with so much joy but I think they’re losing that.”

Ibarra Miller said after months of trying to avoid the move, and back and forth with Stanford and Redwood City, she has redirected her focus. A month after the move, she’s focused on making sure the organization continues to support the families that they can.

“We just have to move forward and continue to provides services,” Ibarra Miller said. “I didn’t want to be in a palace where we were putting our families in more jeopardy than they already are.”

As fellow community organizations are being displaced, Cardona hopes Verbo can remain in North Fair Oaks for as long as it can. For Ibarra Miller, she will continue to serve and tell the story of her community, from wherever she can.

“I might not change any of it right now, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to shut up and say nothing,” Ibarra Miller said. “Someone has to say something. It’s been kind of a very lonely road.”

ana@smdailyjournal.com

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