Addressing Residential Displacement Through Tenant Engagement
Avni Desai
2022–23 | City of San José - Housing Department
AVNI DESAI has been working in the non-profit public policy field since 2010. Her experience is centered around removing systemic barriers to health, housing, and economic justice through power-shifting, policy advocacy, and community organizing.
Avni has successfully worked on laws that have increased access to higher education, decreased financial barriers to living and working in San Francisco, and increased the access and availability of affordable housing in San Francisco. Additionally, she has worked on statewide legislation related to housing and reducing the impact of municipal debt.
Avni holds a Bachelor’s in Microbiology from UCLA and a Master’s in Public Health from Loma Linda University.
Project
The San José residential displacement crisis is disproportionately affecting low-income Black, Asian, and Latino residents from historically marginalized neighborhoods. The City is committed to producing policies and funding priorities to help alleviate the problem in both the short and long term. The FUSE Executive Fellow will advocate for, develop, and implement anti-displacement and displaced tenant preferences to ensure fair and equitable affordable housing opportunities for all San José residents.