Housing is Health

November 2020

45 Stories for 45 Years

Contributor: Daniel Michael Dang, Assistant Project Manager, EBALDC Real Estate Development

As a current staff member of EBALDC, my time at EBALDC has been nothing short of magical and transformative. 

I work in the Real Estate Development program as an Assistant Project Manager where I help develop and preserve affordable housing for the City of Oakland. My passion for affordable housing stems from my experience growing up in Southeast San Diego where I was raised by my mother and sometimes my absent father. In 2007, my mother suffered a brain aneurysm and had a 10% chance of surviving. Our family had bought a new home in 2003 and did not understand how variable mortgages worked. The dramatic increase in our mortgage payments sent my mother into a spiral tornado of anxiety and stress which caused the aneurysm. She’s lucky to be alive. This is where I realized that housing is health; health is financial stability. Health and housing are a fundamental right. 

It is truly an honor to do this work–coming where I come from. I know that this work is worth it.

As EBALDC marks our 45th anniversary, we will be gathering more stories like this one from our friends, family, community members, partners and more stakeholders that have made our impact possible. We would be honored for you to join us:

 

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