By Sofia Esquivel
Somebody once told me that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That is how I have felt since I decided to become a social worker. During the last ten months I have had so many joyful experiences with the members of the PSS centers and today I want to write about a particular situation that made me grow personally and professionally.
I met Rashida Shabazz in August 2022. She’s an outstanding person who manages to spread joy and positivity from the first hello. We started to talk about what brought her to my office at the PSS Manhattanville Center that day. Her rent was being raised three times more than what she could afford for the apartment she had lived in for many years in New York City.
I must be honest; I was afraid. It wasn’t an easy case. Nevertheless, feeling her confidence made me feel that even if it wouldn’t be an easy task, I could help her.
Rashida gave me the details of the case. There was hope because there wasn’t an eviction or housing court notice yet. Maybe we could send her proof of income and avoid the rent increase? What did the lease say? Was she the only one in the building facing this? The questions started to arise. Sometimes working as a social worker feels like being a detective.
Everything started to make sense after every meeting. Eventually we got the terrible notice stating that the case was being sent to housing court and I was to be there on a rainy December 16, 2022, at 10:30 am. The first thought that crossed my mind was the need to get an attorney. The letter stated that if it wasn’t possible to afford one, the city would appoint one for her for free. How difficult would it be to get one for her case? That was the question I was dealing with. Back then I didn’t have an answer but now that I have the experience, I can tell you this for sure: It is extremely difficult.
The first action we took was to ask the court directly to appoint an attorney for her. Rashida came back with bad news. There was a waiting list to get an attorney that lasted over two months. I was immediately frustrated but she never stopped looking at the situation as if it were a blessing. It was impossible not to want to be there with her at every step of the process because of the positivity she always displays despite everything that goes wrong in life. We started to explore different options to get help: City council? Non-Profit organizations? Programs for seniors evictions?
We had already contacted everyone in the city and the answer was always the same: “We are very sorry, but we can’t help her,” or even, “We only take cases that we are sure we will win.” Rashida never doubted for a second that everything would come out in her favor.
We were one day away from the court date. It was 11:30pm when Rashida got a call; an attorney would represent her next day in court, and he was willing to take the case until the end.
The next day the case was postponed, turns out the judge was on vacation. How can this be happening? Rashida, however, had an attorney, Alan Morley. Things were looking up.
Rashida Shabazz flanked by attorney Alan Morley and PSS social worker Sofia Esquivel in the New York City Civil Court building.
We didn’t know what the outcome would be when it came to the case, but it is my duty to think of every possible scenario, right? It was time to ask myself one of the most difficult questions and find out if she had a plan, in case she couldn’t keep her apartment.
How do you tell someone she has to move out from a place where she has been able to thrive in a community for years and she has to start from scratch?
We started the applications for apartments through a housing website. In March we received the first email with a response from the several apartments to which she had applied. With the positive attitude that characterizes her, we did what we had to do to follow up.
Up until now, we’ve only had another court date that has been postponed. Will we ever have the chance to sit in front of a judge?
I am not sure what the resolution of this case will be and how long it will take, but it has been a true pleasure to be part of this process because I know that regardless of what happens, she will be alright. Things always work out for her.
Rashida has had my admiration since the first day she came to my office. As many other members of the center, she is struggling with issues, but never, not for one second, has she forgotten that she is stronger than anything she is dealing with.
This is just a small example of how Rashida is. The other part is the love that she has for her grandchildren, for dancing, for musicals, and for Wednesdays at the Farmer’s Market in Union Square.
Sofia Esquivel is a social worker with PSS Community Social Services and works to improve the lives of older adults in the PSS Older Adult Centers. If this is the type of career that interests you, check the PSS job listings.