Teresa (right) and community members at Cedar Knolls.
Over the past year, Housing Justice Center hosted Teresa Garcia-Delcompare as a HOME Line AmeriCorps VISTA Tenant Organizer. Now, HJC is honored to welcome Teresa as its newest full-time Community Organizer.
Teresa is originally from Guatemala and came to the United States when she was five years old. She graduated from Humboldt High School, then continued her education as a Spanish community interpreter. Her experiences with affordable housing and the need that she has seen in her community brought her to housing justice work.
In her term as an AmeriCorps VISTA Tenant Organizer, Teresa spent most of her time organizing in manufactured home parks, including the community she lived in. Teresa worked alongside residents to obtain their manufactured home titles, apply for rental assistance, and form resident associations. She also coordinated large community events featuring vaccine clinics, bicycle repair, and food distribution. “My proudest moments during the VISTA program were meeting new people, forming friendships, and developing confidence and new abilities that I had forgotten I have,” says Teresa.
Teresa is excited to continue her work creating a positive change in her community. As HJC’S Community Organizer, she will work at the intersection between grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, and legal advocacy. “Effective policy interventions come from the community,” says Director of Policy and Research Tram Hoang. “Teresa has a huge heart and is a natural organizer. Her warmth and energy make everyone feel like family which is critical to building trust and relationships across race, class, and geography. Teresa’s work strengthening communities and bringing people who have too often been overlooked into the fight for housing justice is invaluable. We all look forward to working with her in her new role.”
Contact Teresa for assistance in organizing your community for housing justice at tgarcia-delcompare@hjcmn.org.