$4 billion of the settlement will go to consumer relief, but it's still not clear where that money would go. $3.3 billion was earmarked for foreclosed homeowners as part of the Independent Foreclosure Review Settlement, which resulted in most homeowners, many of whom had lost their homes, receiving checks of $300 to $500.

“The first priority of the settlement should be to keep people in their homes,” said Jaymie Kelly, who has lived in her south Minneapolis home for 30 years and is now facing imminent eviction by JPMorgan Chase and Freddie Mac. “JPMorgan Chase refused to work with me after I fell behind on a predatory loan, even though I had paid for my home five times over. Now they want to evict me from my home of 30 years. I am not interested in a settlement check. I want a negotiation with principal reduction to stay in my home.”

Kelly, who bought her home in 1983 for $74,900, has paid $425,000 for it over the years. When Chase foreclosed on her, they claimed she still owed $255,000. Instead of modifying her loan, they sold her home to Freddie Mac, which is aggressively pushing to evict.

Kelly is fighting an eviction defense campaign with Occupy Homes MN. On Oct. 8, 150 community members blockaded the sheriff's attempt to evict her. JPMorgan Chase and Freddie Mac have filed for another eviction order to remove Kelly from her home, but Kelly is not going anywhere.

“No settlement check could make up for the trauma of being forced out of my home of 30 years,” said Kelly. “If this settlement doesn't keep me in my home, my community will. I am not leaving.”

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #JPMorganChase #HomeForeclosures #OccupyHomesMN #HouseStruggles #JaymieKelly

Kelly, who has paid the value of her home five times over, was scheduled to be evicted by Freddie Mac and the Hennepin County sheriff's department at 10:30 this morning, on her daughter Sinead's 23rd birthday, but a rapid community response forced the sheriffs' deputies to reschedule.

“The government is shut down, but Freddie Mac evictions are still considered an essential service. But the power of community is too big to fail,” said Kelly. “Today's blocked eviction is the greatest birthday present I could give my daughter. I am not moving, and my neighbors stand with me.”

Freddie Mac, which operates under the federal agency FHFA, is continuing its evictions of Kelly and others in spite of the government shutdown.

“Sheriff Stanek and the big banks don't want to do their dirty work in front of 150 community members,” said Nick Espinosa, an organizer with Occupy Homes MN whose family successfully fought off foreclosure last year. “But we will be ready for them at any hour of the day or night. Jaymie's not going anywhere, and neither are we.”

#MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Evictions #governmentShutdown #HomeForeclosures #OccupyHomesMN #HouseStruggles #JaymieKelly #FreddieMac

Minneapolis, MN – Jaymie Kelly, a 30-year homeowner who faces imminent eviction at the hands of Freddie Mac, rallied with 40 neighbors at the U.S. Attorney's office here, Oct. 3, demanding a shutdown of federally financed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac evictions – which continue during the government shutdown as an ‘essential service.’

When Homeland Security told Kelly no one from the Attorney's office could accept her petitions as a result of the shutdown, her supporters proceeded to decorate the outside of the federal building with petition signatures.

“As aid to affordable housing is cut off, and our public officials won't meet with us, Freddie Mac still thinks my eviction is an 'essential service,'” said Kelly, who is fighting in an eviction defense campaign with Occupy Homes MN. “I have already paid for my home five times, but JPMorgan Chase and Freddie Mac have refused to negotiate with me. Freddie Mac must immediately shut down its evictions until it has a permanent director in place willing to work with homeowners like me. The government's inaction could cost me my home of 30 years. But I am not leaving,and my community stands with me.”

Kelly’s supporters then marched over to City Hall to demand Sheriff Stanek not use public resources to evict her. Sheriffs are expected to attempt to evict Kelly sometime in the next week. Her community is prepared to resist any attempt to evict her.

In July, 75 community members drove off 30 sheriffs attempting to evict Kelly’s neighbor, Sergio Ceballos. Two months later, Ceballos remains in his home and is now in negotiation with JPMorgan Chase.

#Minneapolis #MinneapolisMN #HousingStruggles #Minnesota #JPMorganChaseBank #HouseStruggles