{"id":2,"date":"2022-02-17T14:04:17","date_gmt":"2022-02-17T14:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/shiftingsf\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2022-04-29T14:16:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T18:16:46","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/shiftingsf\/sample-page\/","title":{"rendered":"Myrtell’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Myrtell sits in her living room in Hayes Valley in March 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Myrtell Bass-Kuma was born in Jackson, Tennessee but grew up in the Western Addition from the time she was just three years old, where she has lived ever since. Myrtell has gone to the same neighborhood church just a few blocks away for over 30 years. She is now retired after a long career working for the County Water Department in Milbrae.<\/p>\n

Myrtell has now been in the same rent-controlled apartment on Hayes Street since 1979 and is thinking about leaving for a quieter neighborhood and a fresh start. She is upset by the rising rate of break-ins and the density of shops and traffic.<\/p>\n

Myrtell has entered an affordable housing lottery but has yet to have any success from it.\u00a0Her friends and family don\u2019t want her to move out of her apartment. They have all moved out of San Francisco as a result of the shortage of affordable housing and are now scattered through Antioch, Fairfield, Oakland, San Leandro, and Daly City. They travel to visit her, but she doesn\u2019t have many people left in the city.<\/p>\n

In March of 2022, Myrtell recounted some of her experiences to me of living in the neighborhood and watching its transformation.<\/p>\n

The Early Years<\/strong><\/h2>\n