On Thursday evening, June 5, ten adults from the neighborhoods of Redwood City gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City for a Tenants’ Rights workshop sponsored by Fools Mission . The workshop was led by Shirley Gibson, Directing Attorney for the HomeSavers Project at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County. (Shirley also happens to be a UU, and a former Moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco.)

Ten Latina parents gathered in the front lounge to learn about tenants’ rights and ask questions.

Gene Thiers served as translating fool, rendering Ms. Gibson’s English into perfect Spanish for nearly two hours without a break. Where would Fools Mission be without our Eugenio? His own real-life story as a Chilean immigrant to New York in the 70s reveals the genesis of a wise old fool, indeed.

Gene Thiers did yeoman’s service, providing prompt translation at 15-second intervals for two hours!

While Shirley and Gene engaged participants in an animated dialog about how to protect your rights as a tenant, inspirational fool Shawn Lewis created a nurturing space for the children so that the parents could focus on what they needed to learn. She led the kids in arts activities and outdoor games as only an educator and grandmother can!

All Star fool Shawn Lewis cared for the children while parents dove into detail about their rights.

The children created a Thank You card for Fools Mission , which expressed their appreciation in touching ways:

“Thank you for letting us do art. And for letting us be here. Thank you again to everybody and for helping our parents out.”

“Thank you for helping are parens. I hope you have a nice summer.”

“Thank you for letting us use your art things.”

Ms. Gibson wasted no time digging into the basics of tenants’ rights—the necessity of spelling things out in writing; the right to repairs and basic services; the right to notice of eviction or rent increases; and the difficulty of proving discrimination. Participants asked many probing and relevant questions that revealed an underlying anxiety about maintaining stable and safe living quarters, especially in situations where landlords hold most of the power in the relationship.

“What can I do if the landlord is intimidating and frightening the kids when they come out to play?” one mother asked. This led to a discussion about social norms and legal protections, and how the two aren’t always the same thing. The importance of leases and the contractual agreements they represent was repeatedly emphasized, as Ms. Gibson clarified the differences between tenants at will and lease holders. The group appeared grateful for the opportunity to learn who to call when they feel that their rights are being violated. Everyone benefited from knowledge about how to document their cases with supporting evidence, such as inspections and photographs that a lawyer can use in a legal challenge.

Other parents shared stories about landlords who retaliated with rent increases or evictions when tenants complained about conditions or asserted their rights. The vulnerability of low-income and immigration populations came to the fore, as people expressed their fear of reprisals. Much anxiety came to the surface as people pointed to past experiences. Some described how they were left to struggle in isolation as fellow tenants abandoned more organized approaches out of fear.

The presentation made clear that we have a long way to go in Redwood City before we have political support for rent control. At the end of the session, Fools Mission invited participants to attend meetings of Los Bufónes de la Mesa Redonda (Fools of the Round Table), where people from all walks of life have the opportunity to forge stronger relationships and build a community of supportive companionship and mutual advocacy.

It was a great day to be a fool.