Santa Ana, CA – On Tuesday, April 21, residents of Coach Royal mobile home park demanded Kingsley Management Corporation get out of their park. Community Service Organization Orange County (CSO OC) joined them to demand the city council intervene against years of harassment, unjust evictions, home theft, and intimidation by the corporation. The abuse resulted in the suicide of resident Maria Pedraza, whose home was in the process of being taken after years of sacrificing to purchase it.

Karla Alvarado, one of the residents whose home was stolen, stated: “The city of Santa Ana has already met with 45 residents who can testify to this. 45 residents and counting. We have spoken to people across multiple parks. The stories are consistent, the tactics are consistent, and the outcomes as well. That is the definition of a systemic issue.”

Lupe Barragan, a resident and organizer, looked at and pointed directly at each council member as she spoke. “You need to respond! Phil Bacerra, you tried to intimidate us when we came to your office. You, Jonathan Hernandez, we need you to respond to us too. You came to support us and we need more of that. City manager, we need your help. Valerie Amezcua, I know my presence doesn’t please you, but you told us you were going to get out the big guns. We are waiting for you!” As she walked away, Mayor Amezcua laughed at her. Barragan turned around, pointed at Amezcua and scolded her for being disrespectful.

Sylvia Ayala, another resident, told the council, “I’ve lived here for 40 years and I’ve never gotten any help from you. Because you don’t care about the people; you only look out for yourselves. You work, but we have to work more than you. The humiliation that people with money have done to us is not fair.”

While the residents spoke, CSO OC and residents unfurled a banner reading “Kingsley fuera!” The camera began frequently changing angles to avoid showing the banner on screen. At one point, four Santa Ana Police Officers approached the organizers and told them they must move to the back if they are going to hold a banner, despite nobody complaining about an obstructed view.

When Rain Mendoza of CSO OC went up to make public comment, she first held up the banner and told the council to look at it and show it on camera.

Mendoza responded to the council’s frequent response that they cannot do anything because the park is private property, stating, “You sued El Centro Cultural de Mexico, a pillar in this community, so you can use your cops to toss homeless people’s belongings in the trash and push them out of a place where they were allowed to stay by the private property owners. So, you can do all that and use the courts, the police, and all your resources to terrorize a very vulnerable community, but you can’t lift a finger when there is a company that operates in Santa Ana that acts like thugs? Shame on you!”

Diana Terreros of CSO OC reminded the council that the residents of Coach Royal are mainly working-class immigrants whose homes are their refuge during the Trump administration. Terreros stated, “Kingsley’s actions go against the spirit of the entire sanctuary city ordinance. They are exploiting the fear of the immigrant population in Santa Ana. They are hoping the fear will be enough to force the residents to keep their heads down and their mouths shut. They are exploiting this community and their fear to increase their profits by stealing their homes. This is a multi-million dollar corporation from Utah. Why are we allowing them to exploit Santa Ana like this?”

Another member of CSO OC summarized the hundreds of thousands of dollars that groups representing mobile home park owners have donated against the campaign for the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause Eviction Ordinance that was passed in October of 2021. They have also donated to council member’s campaigns. He asked council members, “Is this what’s influencing your frequent responses that there is nothing you can do to enforce what you know is unjust and illegal acts by Kingsley against the Coach Royal residents?”

#SantaAnaCA #CA #CSO #OC #OrangeCounty #PeoplesStruggles #CoachRoyal #Eviction #Featured

New Orleans, LA – On the morning of July 30, over 100 people gathered around the New Orleans Civil District Court building to demand that eviction court be closed. The crowd physically prevented landlords from entering. By the end of the demonstration, protesters shut down the entire court as well as city hall.

The demonstration began with a mock trial that sentenced the court judges and local and state leadership to be evicted for not taking action to protect renters. Above the scene, demonstrators hung a banner from the court roof that read “Eviction = Death.” During the trial, protesters placed furniture in front of the entrance and some demonstrators chained themselves together in front of the doors.

The New Orleans Renters Rights Assembly called the demonstration, with a number of other organizations joining. These included workers’ rights organizations like the City Waste Union and the New Orleans Hospitality Workers Alliance, Southern Solidarity, Freedom Road Socialist Organization and other groups.

The speeches demanded that the city close eviction court and provide immediate relief to the 300,000 Louisiana residents who are at risk of being evicted.

#NewOrleansLA #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Healthcare #AfricanAmerican #HousingStruggles #Eviction #RentCancellation

Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people rallied inside City Hall here, July 24 to demand all charges be dropped against members and supporters of Occupy Homes who were arrested defending the Cruz family home. In recent weeks, city prosecutors added the charge of third degree riot – a gross misdemeanor which carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $3000 fine – to the original trespassing charge. The 14 were arrested May 30 in a peaceful protest at the Cruz family home.

Speaking in City Hall, Rachel Lang of the National Lawyers Guild announced the start of a campaign to press city officials to drop the charges. Other speakers included hip-hop artist Brother Ali, Michael Friedman of the Legal Rights Center and Dave Bicking, formerly of the Minneapolis Civilian Police Review Authority.

The decision of city officials to escalate the charges against anti-foreclosure protesters is an attempt to attempt to intimidate activists. The protests organized by Occupy Homes have garnered international media coverage and has been successful in saving the homes of those hit by foreclosures.

Other demands put forward at the protest were that, “All police, including Chief Dolan, who used violence against peaceful protesters be formally disciplined,” and that “no more public resources be used to help banks evict our neighbors.”

#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #politicalRepression #OccupyHomesMN

St. Paul, MN – In a packed hearing room, more than a dozen legislators heard testimony March 14 on proposed legislation to put a moratorium on home foreclosures and the eviction of tenants from foreclosed properties. Representative Karen Clark and Senator Scott Dibble, authors of the ‘Foreclosure Moratorium, Neighborhood Stabilization & Tenant Protection Bill’ (SF1521 and HF1886) chaired the hearing. The moratorium bill is an initiative of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout (MCPBO).

Those testifying at the hearing included Cherrene Horazuk, Chief Steward of AFSCME Local 3800, Peter Brown of the Minnesota Tenants Union, Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee, Anthony Newby of Occupy Homes, Mel Reeves of Occupy the Hood and homeowners who have or are currently facing foreclosure, including Rosemary Williams, Bobby Hull, Ruby Brown, Peter Eisert and John Vinge.

Deb Konechne, a spokesperson for the MCPBO, testified, “This bill, which has been introduced in the House and the Senate, would place a 2-year moratorium on home foreclosures and a 2-year moratorium on the foreclosure related eviction of renters from foreclosed property.”

She added, “This bill is a plan to keep Minnesotans in our homes. It also protects renters who too many times end up paying rent and a damage deposit without knowing the property is in foreclosure, only to be evicted through no fault of their own, only a few months later.”

Rosemary Williams recounted her dramatic fight to keep her home. She said that when sheriffs evicted her and her family from her home in 2009, the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout helped move her back in. William’s called for politicians to pass the moratorium law.

To date, Republican committee chairs have refused to hear the Moratorium Bill. “Today’s people’s hearing served notice on them. We will carry forward the fight for a moratorium on foreclosures. We will continue to challenge politicians that serve the banks and big business,” stated Mick Kelly of the MCPBO.

Stacey Kemp, a Minneapolis homeowner gave her take on the hearing, stating “Stopping foreclosures means keeping our neighborhoods healthy and strong. The unemployment and underemployment rate has been bordering on 20% for a very long time. Working families that have been the core of our neighborhoods and communities are losing their homes because of an economic crisis caused by the 1%. I support this public hearing to demand that the legislators protect our interests – not those of the privileged few.”

Video from the press conference preceding the people's hearing on the foreclosure & eviction moratoriumDeb KonechneRosemary Williams

#SaintPaulMN #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #RosemaryWilliams #HousingStruggles #DebKonechne #Foreclosure #Eviction #Moratorium #KarenClark #ScottDibble

Minneapolis, MN – El 6 de diciembre, fue un día de acción nacional a favor de aquellas familias en peligro de perder sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria. Para ello más de 100 personas se congregaron frente a la casa de Bobby Hull en la 3712 Columbus Ave. Sur, Minneapolis, y anunciaron el inicio de una ocupación de su casa para garantizar que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa.

El señor Hull quien es un veterano de guerra, humilde y trabajador, ha vivido en esta casa en el sur de Minneapolis desde el año 1968 con su familia pero está en peligro de perder su casa, la cual pasaría a manos del banco. Aunque ha vivido allí por décadas y ha hecho sus pagos mensuales al banco, por razones de salud no ha podido seguir con los pagos exigidos por el banco. Hull ha intentado negociar con el banco para reducir el pago mensual, pero el banco no le hace caso y sigue intentando retomar a la casa. En el vecindario en el sur de Minneapolis donde viven muchas familias latinas y afroamericanas de la clase trabajadora hay muchas familias que han perdido sus casas debido a la ejecución hipotecaria durante la actual crisis económica, aumentando la pobreza y la crisis de familias sin hogar.

Ahora hay un movimiento de inquilinos y dueños de casas que dicen “basta” a los bancos y rehúsan salir de sus casas cuando el banco intenta adueñarse de sus casas. El movimiento de indignados en Minneapolis, conocido como Ocupar Minneapolis, está apoyando a Bobby Hull para que el banco US Bank no le saque de su casa. Ocupar Minneapolis es parte del movimiento Ocupar Wall Street que ocupa espacios públicos y ahora también casas para protestar a favor del 99% de la población trabajadora y en contra del 1% de los más ricos, los bancos y las grandes corporaciones que verdaderamente controlan la economía y la política del país por sus propios intereses y no los intereses de la gran mayoría.

Ocupar Minneapolis sigue con su ocupación de la plaza en el centro de Minneapolis, aunque los políticos del condado de Hennepin están intentando restringir la habilidad de los manifestantes para mantener su protesta allí. Hasta la fecha la ocupación de la plaza en el centro de la ciudad sigue viva. También el movimiento Ocupar Minneapolis sigue con la ocupación de la casa de Monique White en el norte de Minneapolis. Como la casa de Bobby Hull en el sur de Minneapolis, la casa de la señora White está también en peligro de la ejecución hipotecaria. Los manifestantes dicen que van a mantener las ocupaciones hasta que haya justicia.

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis #BobbyHull

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 6, a national day of action for occupying foreclosed homes, more than 100 people rallied here in front of Bobby Hull’s house at 3712 Columbus Avenue. They announced the start of an occupation of his home to prevent US Bank from kicking Hull and his family out of their home.

Bobby Hull, a working class Vietnam War veteran, has lived with his family in the South Minneapolis home since 1968. But now he’s in danger of losing the home, which would be taken by the bank. Although he’s lived there and made his mortgage payments for decades, due to health reasons he wasn’t able to keep up with the high payments more recently. Hull tried to negotiate a lower monthly payment with the bank, but they wouldn’t negotiate and moved forward with the attempt to take away his house. In South Minneapolis, where many working class Latino and African American families live, there are many families who have lost their homes due to foreclosure during the current economic crisis, which just further increases poverty and homelessness.

There’s a growing movement of tenants and homeowners who are saying “Enough is enough!” to the banks and refusing to leave their homes when the bank tries to foreclose on them. The Occupy Minneapolis movement is supporting Bobby Hull to try to prevent US Bank from kicking him out of his house. Occupy Minneapolis is part of the Occupy Wall Street movement that is occupying public spaces and some homes too. These occupations are a protest in favor of the 99% of the population and against the 1% of the richest people, the banks and the large corporations that control the economy and politics of the country for their own interests instead of in the interest of the vast majority.

Occupy Minneapolis’s central occupation continues downtown at The People’s Plaza outside of Hennepin County Government Center and City Hall, although Hennepin County officials continue trying to restrict the protesters’ ability to stay there. As of this writing the occupation of the downtown plaza continues. Occupy Minneapolis members are also continuing to occupy Monique White’s house in North Minneapolis. Like Bobby Hull’s house in South Minneapolis, Monique White is also in danger losing her home to foreclosure. The protesters say they’ll maintain the occupations until they win some justice.

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #OccupyWallStreet #OccupyMN #OccupyMinneapolis #BobbyHull

Starting now: Call & e-mail Hennepin County Commissioners to demand that they stop restricting Occupy Minneapolis’s right to protest & right to shelter!

Don’t dismantle Occupy Minneapolis tents on Wednesday – shelter is a human right! Stop threatening Occupy Minneapolis right to protest! Stop the intimidation and harassment of Occupy Minneapolis!

On Wednesday, occupiers and supporters will take action, setting up “99 Tents for the 99 Percent” on the plaza. County officials have been trying to coerce the protesters to cancel this event through the use of intimidation, harassment and threats. This is unacceptable. We need to stand up for the right to protest and the right to shelter. We need to pressure the County authorities to NOT dismantle or confiscate the tents on Wednesday, to not threaten the protesters with repression if they stand up for their basic rights.

Since Occupy Minneapolis started their protest at The People’s Plaza on October 7 as part of the global Occupy Wall Street movement, Hennepin County Sheriff Stanek and Hennepin County Administrators have refused to allow the protesters to have shelter from the weather. Since there was no actual policy forbidding shelter on the plaza, County Commissioners made up a new set of rules directly singling out Occupy Minneapolis’s protest, restricting protesters from sleeping or having shelter on the plaza. The public responded with an outpouring of support for the occupiers, as hundreds rallied, community and lab