St. Paul, MN – Over 300 people gathered in here, August 10, in a show of solidarity with the people of Ferguson, Missouri and to remember the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown at the hands of the police.

Minneapolis, MN – On Dec. 19, MIRAc’s No More Deportations campaign and Occupy Homes MN joined together to protest deportations and evictions in Hennepin County. They demanded that Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek stop evicting people from their homes and stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deport immigrants from the county jail.

Minneapolis, MN – As JPMorgan Chase reaches a record $13 billion settlement with the Justice Department over its role in the lead-up to the foreclosure crisis, it remains unclear whether this settlement will keep people like Jaymie Kelly in their homes.

Minneapolis, MN – On Oct. 8, 150 neighbors and community supporters successfully prevented the scheduled eviction of Jaymie Kelly, a Powderhorn community homeowner who has lived in her home for 30 years.

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.’

Minneapolis, MN – Community members marched through downtown here, Aug. 19, demanding JPMorgan Chase Bank negotiate with the Ceballos and Kelly families, both of whom face imminent eviction after foreclosure.

Minneapolis, MN – About 250 community members gathered in the front yard of the Ceballos home, July 29, for a concert and rally to show support for the Ceballos family. The family, with the help of community supporters, fended off an eviction attempt by 30 sheriff deputies sent by JPMorgan Chase July 24. They expect another eviction attempt at any time.

Minneapolis, MN – 75 community members turned back 30 sheriffs who were trying to evict people from the Ceballos home, July 24. Two home defenders were arrested in acts of civil disobedience.

Irvington, NJ – A municipal hearing on foreclosure was held here, July 10. The main emphasis was placed where it belongs: on the testimony of distressed homeowners themselves. The council chambers were packed.

Springfield, MA – Nearly 100 community members, many African American, Puerto Rican and Latino, answered a call to occupy and clean up a vacant home located at 280 Wilbraham Road on March 13. The call by Springfield No One Leaves/Nadie Se Mude and Arise for Social Justice is an attempt to gain homes for working-class people.

St. Paul, MN – 40 residents and community supporters from the Foreclosure and Eviction Free Zone marched on Wells Fargo with the boards used to illegally board up an occupied home. The march was part of the Homes for All national day of action, March 13. It was also hours after bank lobbyists killed the Homeowner Bill of Rights at the Minnesota state capitol.

Minneapolis, MN – Jessica English, a single mother of four who was homelessness, moved into an abandoned Wells Fargo-owned home in south Minneapolis last month. The home had been broken into and used as a drug house. But English, a student, writer, dedicated worker and volunteer with Occupy Homes MN, saw in it the potential of a place to raise her family.

Protest demands the bank turn over vacant homes

Minneapolis, MN – 13 people were peacefully arrested Feb. 27 as they marched on Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, demanding the bank turn over vacant homes to community control and calling for fairer banking practices.

St. Paul, MN – A Ramsey County jury found Anthony Newby, executive director of Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, not guilty on assault charges here Feb. 4. An employee of a law firm representing Freddie Mac, a primary target of the housing justice movement, pressed charges against Newby following a peaceful protest that happened March 1, 2012.

Jersey City, NJ – Organized labor took a direct hand in the struggle against predatory lending here, on Jan. 24, at a Bank of America branch in the Harborside Financial Center.

Newark, NJ – Another mortgage ‘settlement’ between the government and 14 Wall Street banks is being pulled out of the hat. The little that the ‘settlement’ does for homeowners is on terms set by the banks. A few objections, among others, are:

Trenton, NJ, – The people’s struggle against foreclosures took a new turn before the New Jersey Court of Appeals here, Dec. 19.

Chuck D, Brother Ali lead anniversary celebration

Minneapolis, MN – 200 community members successfully took over a vacant home in South Minneapolis the night of Dec. 6, for a veteran made homeless by foreclosure. They are demanding that the house be turned over to community control through a nonprofit, as the Occupy Homes movement marked its first birthday. Internationally renowned hip-hop artists Brother Ali and Chuck D of Public Enemy led the anniversary celebration.

Newark, NJ – In the face of ineffective, and even harmful, government measures to assist distressed homeowners, an effort has been launched by the People’s Organization for Progress (POP) and the Coalition to Save Our Homes (C2SOH) to demand criminal investigations of bank wrongdoing during the mortgage bubble. At its Oct. 4 meeting the following motion was passed unanimously:

Newark, NJ – A protest against predatory lending took place here, Sept. 15, at the Broad Street branch of Wells Fargo Bank. It was the joint effort of the People’s Organization for Progress (POP) and the Coalition to Save Our Homes (C2SOH).