“We had no time to grieve. We were very limited in resources and really didn’t have the mental space or the capacity at that moment to even begin to think about what moving would look like after living in that home for over 45 years.”

Reg and Naj grew up in their home at the apex of a Potrero Hill, raised by their grandmother. They have fond memories of food and watching TV together, and the house being the safest place for them. Reg often felt pulled in two directions; the directions of his parents that involved drugs and incarceration, versus the direction of his grandparents with safety and an emphasis on education.

In August of 2020, their grandma contracted COVID-19. After being hospitalized for 9 days, the nurse called Reg and Naj. “We lost her,” says Naj. “She called us and said that it was too much, and if we could just let her go. And so we had a FaceTime call and we watched her take her last breath.”

At their grandmother’s funeral, the siblings were told they had 90 days to move out of the only home they’ve ever known.

They reached out to Open Door Legal. The Housing Law team proved that Reg and Naj were neither guests or caregivers, but residents of the home. They were awarded a settlement that protected them and set them up to find another home in the near future.