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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E498-E499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IN RECOGNITION OF ROBERT JONES
______
HON. JACKIE SPEIER
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, April 29, 2019
Ms. SPEIER. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Robert Jones the retiring
Executive Director of EPA Can Do. This nonprofit community development
corporation located in East Palo Alto has provided affordable housing,
financial readiness training, property management, and homeownership
evaluations for thousands of residents since it was first established
in 1991. Robert Jones was a founding member of this organization and in
2000 began as its Executive Director.
Robert was born in Warren Arkansas to John and Odessa Jones. He has
six sisters and three brothers. As a child in Arkansas, he grew up
under a system of segregated schools and public facilities, racism and
Jim Crow statutes that denied opportunity to African Americans. In
1962, he and his family relocated to California where they settled in
Pasadena. He ultimately obtained his AA degree in Interior Design from
Los Angeles City College and a Bachelor's in Psychology and Master's in
Counselor Education from San Jose State University.
His kind heart and strong mind led him to counseling young people,
and he eventually worked with emotionally disturbed children, and
counseled them on career and vocational decision making. By the 1990's
he was involved in the field of affordable housing and joined Eden
Housing in Hayward to begin a career as a project manager for
affordable housing projects. It was also during this time that he
joined with other neighborhood leaders in East Palo Alto to found EPA
Can Do, serving as its first Vice Chair and then, soon thereafter,
rising to Chair.
Robert Jones worked closely with the City of East Palo Alto to secure
home ownership for its residents. In 2002, EPA Can Do began to
refinance predatory loans in partnership with Fannie Mae. This program
was a forerunner to the programs established after the Great Recession
in 2008. The Foreclosure Intervention and Counseling Program
established after the meltdown counseled over 3,700 homeowners from
East Palo Alto and surrounding communities.
EPA Can Do has developed several projects but remains in ownership of
a 15-unit development, Clarke Avenue Apartments. The Light Tree
Apartments exist as affordable units in part because Robert Jones and
EPA Can Do facilitated their transfer to a financially stronger owner,
Eden Housing. Over the course of a six-year period, Robert assembled
parcels along University Avenue and then negotiated a partnership which
resulted in the creation of 41 units at Serenity Senior Housing. This
development was a twinkle in the eye of Robert Jones and few thought
that he could turn it into reality, but he did. The reality of Robert's
career in housing development is 350 units of permanently affordable
housing across several jurisdictions.
Robert Jones presently serves as the Vice Chairman of the Menlo Park
Fire Protection District and also participates in numerous volunteer
positions in East Palo Alto, including as a CERT volunteer. Throughout
his life in East Palo Alto, he participated in many committees to
improve the quality of life of residents, including committees focused
on anti-drug efforts, improving childcare, economic development, and
the East Palo Alto Senior Center Board of Directors.
When the history of East Palo Alto in the modern era is reviewed,
Robert Jones will be understood to be at the center of many positive
changes in this remarkable community. East Palo Alto is filled with
hard working, loving people who wish the best for their families, their
neighbors and their city. Over decades, Robert Jones has worked to turn
the wishes of these amazing residents into opportunity. As he retires
from a financially sound EPA Can Do, we know that he will remain
involved in building his city's civic spirit. We wish Robert Jones all
the best in his retirement. He may no longer be at the center of all
the initiatives that will shape East Palo Alto, but he will remain in
the hearts of his neighbors for many years to come.
[[Page E499]]
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