The Resilient Residents of Resilient Homes

By Maya Paulo, Jacquelyne Vera, and John Ou - Resilient Homes Team, CRC

An East Palo Alto resident's roof being replaced through CRC's Minor Home Repair Program.

For over a century, the East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, and North Fair Oaks communities have been subjected to the frontline of climate change and disasters by big corporations, real estate developers, policymakers at county and state levels, and many other actors. Frontline communities are communities experiencing the most drastic effects of climate change, gentrification, and inflation, while having the least amount of resources to combat these issues. From the multi-year fight to shut down the Romic plant to the daily reality of Highway 101, where 80% of the traffic is just passing through, residents have organized to fight against poor air quality and environmental racism. And each time residents have come together to advocate for themselves, they have made a difference.

But to this day, the EPA-Belle Haven-North Fair Oaks corridor faces higher pollution burdens than surrounding areas -- diesel particulate matter, elevated fine inhalable particles (PM2.5), lead in older housing stock, and the compounding effects of wildfire smoke. And at the same time, the majority of its low-income residents remain exposed to climate threats on multiple fronts: flooding from creeks and sea level rise on one side, extreme heat in homes with no cooling on the other. 

These conditions have real consequences.  As stated in the city of East Palo Alto’s website, children who grow up in East Palo Alto are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from asthma attacks compared to both the rest of the county and the neighboring city of Palo Alto, just two miles down University Avenue. Life expectancy in East Palo Alto runs as much as a decade shorter than in Menlo Park, the city Belle Haven is part of. It's hard to believe that this is still the case in the heart of Silicon Valley and near one of the wealthiest zip codes in the country. We know how this gap was built, and we know it can be unbuilt. 

For over 8 years, the Resilient Homes Program has fostered connection with these homeowners in our mission to eliminate substandard housing and ensure every resident is prepared for environmental and climate hazards. In August of 2026, we succeeded in our long multi-year quest of knocking on every door in the Belle Haven community to promote WestLight Energy’s (formerly Peninsula Clean Energy) free electrification program.

CRC case managers with a resident who went though our Minor Home Repair Program.

This program gives qualifying Belle Haven residents the opportunity to upgrade up to nine appliances in their home to energy-saving electric appliances, including heat pumps, water heaters, and heating/cooling units. Despite the community facing intensifying extreme heat summer after summer, many homes neither have air conditioning units nor possess the electrical systems capable of handling these units. Cut off from the rest of Menlo Park by Highway 101 and shaped by decades of redlining, Belle Haven has built a culture of resilience. Community members constantly show up to help, contributing at our Climate Change Community Team (CCCT) meetings and spreading the word about our programming. Canvassing allowed us to include all residents, meeting them where they are and connecting them to free resources that could make a difference. 

Maria, a Redwood City homeowner, working with our contractor Joaquin.

Our Equitable Building Decarbonization (EBD) program takes this initiative further. Sponsored by the California Energy Commission, EBD brings free healthy home upgrades to eligible East Palo Alto homeowners: replacing gas appliances with electric ones, installing clean heating and cooling, sealing air leaks and improving insulation, and upgrading outdated wiring. This summer we were able to enroll 13 East Palo Alto residents into EBD and we’ll keep doing so until we’ve used every last dollar of our funding. 

We have stepped foot into over 70 affected homes to provide home upgrades or act as a case manager for other programs through our Minor Home Repair program. This has included repairs done by our licensed contractors, such as mold remediation, and accessibility modifications like grab bars, ramps, and roll-in showers. These changes let seniors age in the comfort of their own homes. 

Resilient Homes was CRC’s first program. There was a need in the community for essential home repair services, so we centered our resources and funding on providing them. We didn’t start from the top through policy but instead began in the houses, where residents urgently needed resources. Our work bridges the gap between the programs that exist and the homes that can't reach them. Starting at the individual level means both addressing home safety issues for residents and building climate resilience within each household and neighborhood, expanding to create reduced greenhouse gas emissions and safer communities in the long-term.

An East Palo Alto family, Mana and Mele, received over $10,000 in kitchen renovations in collaboration with IKEA East Palo Alto. The project transformed their kitchen with brand-new appliances, including a dishwasher, stovetop, and oven, as well as new cabinetry, kitchen storage, and updated fixtures such as faucets, sink handles, and cabinet hardware.

If you or someone you know owns a home in East Palo Alto, Belle Haven, San Bruno, Redwood City, San Mateo,  or North Fair Oaks and something isn’t safe or working, reach out to Resilient Homes. 

Join your local CCCT. CCCTs are where residents set the priorities for what happens in their neighborhoods. You can find more information about CCCTs on our website. 

Show up to city council meetings, where decisions get made, and contact your local representatives. Public comments are short but impactful. Subscribe to our newsletter to keep yourself updated on our projects and upcoming events. 

Everyone should get to live in a home and in an area that keeps them safe. Let's make it happen.