Personal Testimony | Swords to Silenced

Overview

I am reporting a pattern of housing misrepresentation, unsafe living conditions, retaliation after protected complaints, and ongoing harassment. I believe vulnerable residents, including veterans, are being exposed to preventable harm while institutions and partners avoid accountability.

Housing Placement and Program Concerns

I was placed into the SSVF program through Insight Housing after a referral from the local VA office. I believe I was pressured to provide inaccurate financial disclosures to meet eligibility requirements.

Property address: 1055 72nd Avenue, Oakland (Apartment 4).
City and listing records indicate a 3-bedroom house configuration.
I allege that the property was misrepresented and used to place vulnerable tenants in unsafe conditions while public funding continued.

Habitability and Safety Failures

On the day I moved in, a car was stolen from outside the property. I documented repeated concerns about trash, infestations, poor sanitation, and lack of security. I made dozens of direct requests for repairs and safety measures by phone and text.

After requesting legal contact information from Insight Housing, communication stopped. I later learned I had been removed from the program without timely notice.

Harassment, Policing, and Ongoing Risk

I have experienced sustained stalking and electronic harassment, including repeated threatening communications and self-harm prompts directed at me. I contacted emergency services many times and attempted to preserve records through text-based 911 reporting.

Despite these reports, I believe enforcement actions have been inconsistent, and I remain in a high-risk situation with continuing threats.

Retaliation and Care Access Concerns

I reported these issues through local and national channels, including the homeless veterans hotline. Shortly after those actions, I was summoned and evicted, and I became homeless again by January 29.

I also raised concerns through my VA care network and chain of command. I allege retaliation, reduced access to care, and harmful characterizations that were used to discredit me after I continued escalating complaints.

Current Status and Request

A recent housing habitability complaint was sustained, and the property remains in violation. I am still vulnerable, still facing persistent harassment, and still seeking immediate protective action.

I am requesting accountability for all parties involved, enforcement action where legally supported, and emergency steps to prevent further harm to me and other vulnerable residents.