Director of Outreach and Education, SAJE

Araceli was born and raised in South Central LA and studied at San Francisco State University. Living in San Francisco she experienced the displacement and gentrification within communities of color like La Mision which sparked an interest in tenant rights. Coming back to South Central LA, Araceli volunteered at Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) and was eventually hired as a full time employee for the Rent Escrow Account Program, and she now serves as the Director of Outreach and Education. Araceli strives to bring tenant right resources to communities in need of information and guidance with their housing issues.

Associate Director,  T.R.U.S.T South LA

Oscar Monge is Tenemos Que Reclamar y Unidos Salvar la Tierra (T.R.U.S.T. South LA) Associate Director. His focus is on growing the Community Land Trust’s (CLT) large and small multifamily affordable housing projects, member & leadership development activities, as well as managing daily operations. His main role is to advance the CLT’s vision of de-commodifying land and homes by removing them from the speculative market and strengthening T.R.U.S.T.’s Black and Brown member leadership to collectively steward community assets. Oscar is committed to cultivating leadership from within organizations and communities and has held mid-to-executive non-profit management roles to advance Equitable Community Development and Climate Resiliency initiatives. His work in youth workforce development, environmental justice, and leadership development anchored his life-long commitment for building equitable and sustainable neighborhoods and policies. He earned his Masters of Urban Planning degree focused on Sustainable Development from the University of Southern California and later an Affordable Housing Certificate from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has a strong moral compass and an unending curiosity for learning and implementing stronger community and environmental stewardship models designed and led by people of color.

Director of Policy, Esperanza Community Housing

Rabeya Sen is Director of Policy at Esperanza Community Housing Corporation, where she works on issues related to affordable housing, equitable development and anti-displacement strategies, environmental justice, health access, racial justice, immigrant rights, and much more. She has worked in the social justice movement for over 24 years, addressing the complexity of experiences that shape the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Prior to joining Esperanza, Rabeya worked in related fields, addressing the confluence of structural violence and social justice issues, especially their impact on issues of domestic violence and gender-based violence in API & other immigrant communities. She also has her Master’s degree in public policy, focusing on social welfare policies, both local and international.