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

Newark, NJ – A People’s Hearing against Foreclosure and Homelessness took place here, Oct. 26. Many people, many issues and many ideas were heard. Sponsors included the People’s Organization for Progress (POP), the National Organization for Women-NJ and the Newark Teachers’ Association (NTA). A People’s Bailout Program emerged as a concrete and realistic vehicle of people’s struggle.

The premise of the event was “Hold the Bankers Accountable.” The CEO’s of the five largest banks were invited by mail to attend, listen to the people’s concerns and proposals and respond. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke were also invited. Chairs for the invitees with large signs bearing their names were prominently placed at the front of the room. Unsurprisingly, the chairs were empty.

Several responses had been received by POP Chairman Lawrence Hamm. It was clear from the responses that the invitations had been seen at high levels and the message had gotten through: The people see those in charge of the banks and the economy as neither remote nor mysterious and we hold them accountable.

The warm-up band for the event was New Jersey’s Solidarity Singers, a veteran support group for labor and other people’s struggles. Moderator Lisa Davis gave a picture of the way predatory subprime mortgage loans had particularly been concentrated on African-American communities. As a result, Essex County, Newark’s location, suffers one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. The number of homeless children has risen by 84% since the crisis began.

The next presentation was about the causes of the housing bubble, financial collapse and depression. They were attributed to excess capital in the U.S. economy. So much money floods U.S. capital markets that profitable investment for all of it cannot be found. The excess cannot be used to meet the crying human needs of U.S. society because it is capital and must be used to find profits. It is forced into speculation and swindling.

Over the period of the housing bubble, 1999-2008, mortgagees in the total U.S. economy were bamboozled into taking mortgages in almost $2 trillion in excess of true market value of the properties purchased. The mortgage principals must be written down to fully reflect true market value.

The POP People’s Bailout Program was presented:

• Write-down of overvalued housing bubble mortgage principals to true market value;
• Moratorium on foreclosures;
• Rollback of bank rates, fees and charges to 2007 levels;
• Divestment of public accounts from banks that refuse to write mortgages down, and other penalties;
• No foreclosure without proof of ownership of title to the property;
• Abolish the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) that allows banks to conceal ownership of title and defraud owners.

Phyllis Salowe-Kaye of New Jersey Citizen Action referred to “robogate,” the scandal in which thousands of homeowners are losing their homes without proper documentation of lender ownership of title. Her agency is pressing to require attorneys to swear in court that lender documentation is real.

James Harris, Chairman of the New Jersey Conference of the NAACP, pointed out that as a group African-Americans have the lowest home ownership rate and are the least employed. The NAACP has sued major banks for the racism of their focus of predatory lending practices on black people. The city of Camden removed a tent city of the homeless instead of helping them. There is a move on to do away with measures in New Jersey to provide affordable housing. He said, “The right combination is in this room, we can get progressive forces together to move in an electoral thrust.”

“Times in Newark have always been rough,” said Newark Teachers’ Association President Annette Alston. According to her, children eat every bit of school breakfast and lunch they can get and now things are even worse. Teachers go into their own pockets to cover school expenses. But we live in a mean-spirited time when New Jersey Governor Christie doesn’t even care and is more interested in breaking the New Jersey Education Association than he is in helping children. Newark lost hundreds of teachers due to Christie’s budget cuts and classroom sizes are going above 30. Newark teachers would shine in any setting, but when a child is worried about being homeless in a few weeks or moves two or three times a year education is impossible. Nobody wants to look at poverty and homelessness but schools need resources.

Barbara Foley on NOW-NJ cited statistics showing that single mothers suffer disproportionately from unemployment and subprime mortgages. Black women are five times as likely as white men to be forced into subprime mortgages and women generally are 32% more likely to have subprime mortgages. The Tea Party puts out notions like blaming “irresponsible borrowers” for the economic collapse. We must take up the ideological contest against racism and sexism.

“Ten times a week someone calls my office to say they are in foreclosure and asks ‘what can I do?’” said Newark Councilwoman Mildred Crump. She offered helpful information, such as not to use the same lawyer in foreclosure as was used to close the sale. She said there is often complicity with the lenders. She asked how many people don’t open the letters from the banks and a number of people raised their hands. “Don’t hide your head in the sand, read the notice,” she said. She was asked to support people’s initiatives like divestment from banks that won’t write mortgages down, and agreed. People generally took the line that elected officials must support their initiatives, rather than looking to the Democratic Party for answers.

Lawrence Hamm of POP said we are living in one of the most reactionary periods of the last 50 years. Most black people have their wealth tied up in their homes, and more black people have lost their homes in the last two years than ever in the history of the U.S. The Obama administration has opposed a moratorium on foreclosure. We must press for the elected officials to say the same things as the people.

We need to build a broad coalition that will include labor, churches, the homeless and tenant organizations. We need to have a ten-million person march for economic justice, like the people’s struggle in France. POP will look at the possibility of bringing a class action suit against the banks, divestiture and other measures to mobilize the masses along lines of daily concerns.

Problems like sharp increases in local property taxes were raised in the question-and-answer section of the hearing. A teacher who has been unemployed for three years said that she cannot even get consideration for hiring in suburban school districts. She is African-American and administrators take one look at her and don’t want to hire. She said unemployment is deliberately being concentrated on African-American people.

An atmosphere of struggle and optimism emerged among the audience as it became clear that everyone is in the same boat and can struggle together. Most of the audience of 80 stuck out the two and a half hour program to the end, showing their willingness to struggle when presented with a program of concrete and workable demands for economic justice in the face of Great Depression II.

#NewarkNJ #HousingStruggles #PeoplesOrganizationForProgress #Foreclosure

Detroit, MI – Fight Back! interviewed Rosemary Williams, an important leader in the struggle against home foreclosures, at the U.S. Social Forum on June 24.

#DetroitMI #RosemaryWilliams #Interviews #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #USSF #USSocialForum

Minneapolis, MN – Friends, neighbors and other supporters joined the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout at the home of Michel Kidd, April 9. Kidd has been fighting to keep his home for over a year. He has had enough of the mortgage servicer, Aurora Loan Services, stalling, changing terms, ‘forgetting’ about past agreements and items faxed and mailed several times and apparently refusing to negotiate in good faith.

Michael Kidd is an independent trucker. In 2004 he put down $45,000 cash and got a regular, fixed-rate mortgage. Because of the recession, his trucking business slowed. Last year, he tried to renegotiate the terms of his mortgage so his payments would be more affordable – with the expectation, based on the terms of the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), that the home’s current value to be taken into account.

In 2004, when Kidd bought the house, it was valued at $190,000. Now it is valued between $65,000 and $90,000. Aurora, in direct contradiction the federal HAMP program, is not offering to refinance the home at its ‘net present value.’

Mick Kelly, of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout, puts it bluntly: “Michael Kidd is being robbed. Aurora is pressuring him into taking a bogus deal that only makes Aurora richer. They are basically turning his house into an ATM for the banks.”

Michael Kidd and many others who have lost homes on the north and south sides of Minneapolis are examples of the racial disparities in home foreclosures and remodifications. As an African American born and raised in North Minneapolis, Kidd says he could have moved away, but chose to stay and build his community. “I am not just speaking for me, but for thousands in my situation,” said Mr. Kidd. “There are empty homes all around this neighborhood. We don’t need any more.”

The Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout joins Michael Kidd in demanding that Aurora come to the table, follow the rules of the HAMP program and renegotiate the mortgage at the home’s current value.

“Give Mr. Kidd a deal he can afford,” says Linden Gawboy, of the Minnesota Coalition for a Peoples Bailout.

#MinneapolisMN #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #MichaelKidd

St. Paul, MN – About 100 people gathered here Feb. 4 on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol for a protest that coincided with the opening of the Minnesota State Legislature. The Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout organized the protest. Standing at the top of a giant banner reading, “Tax the rich, no cuts to poor and working people,” Angel Buechner of the Welfare Rights Committee led the chant, “Hey politicians, here’s the fix – tax the rich! Tax the rich!”

Linden Gawboy, of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout, gave the first speech, stating, “The MN Coalition for a People’s Bailout has legislation for a People’s Agenda. We demand jobs or income now. If this state does not do the right thing and give us jobs – we need income. We want unemployment benefits extended. We want a moratorium on the five-year limit on welfare. We want the creation of a public works program to put people to work now. We call for no layoffs, no furloughs and no attacks on wages, for state and University of Minnesota workers and for all workers. Now is the time to be protecting jobs, instead of putting more people in the unemployment lines.”

Gawboy continued, “We are sick of seeing destruction that foreclosures and evictions cause in our communities. We call for a moratorium on home foreclosures and on evictions from foreclosed properties.” Many participants at the rally held signs calling for a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions.

Mick Kelly, of the Minnesota Coalition for a Peoples Bailout said, “The economic crisis continues to hit poor and working people hard. Every month more jobs are lost and more homes hover on the brink of foreclosure. We are bringing the message to the politicians at the capitol that this is an emergency and something has to be done.”

He continued, “The rally is in support of House File 2604, which will place a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions of renters from foreclosed properties while the economic crisis is still hitting so many families.” Both HF2604 and its senate companion, SF2242 were introduced Feb. 4.

Charlene Wilford of the Welfare Rights Committee told the crowd, “To those politicians who just don’t get it, we say, ‘Get out here.’ Talk to the moms who have been surviving on $437.00 per month. Talk the homeowners who have given their blood, sweat and tears over the years, only to find themselves facing foreclosures by greedy banks. Talk to families whose unemployment insurance and welfare have hit their time limits.” The Welfare Rights Committee and the Coalition are promoting legislation that will place a moratorium on the five-year time limit on public assistance.

Trade unionists played a big role in the rally. Phyllis Walker, the president of AFSCME 3800 said, “We need to extend unemployment insurance in Minnesota. The homes of many of our union members are in jeopardy because their spouse is out of work and they cannot keep up the mortgage without unemployment payments.” Nearby, members of her local held the union’s banner.

Other labor leaders speaking at the rally included Bernie Hess, of the United Food and Commercial Workers and representatives of the SEIU Local 26, whose janitors recently authorized a strike.

Other speakers included representatives from the coalition’s youth, student, tenant, anti-war and immigrant rights member groups.

Deb Konechne of the Minnesota Coalition for a Peoples Bailout says that the coalition will undertake all out mobilizations to fight for justice at the capitol this legislative session.

#SaintPaulMN #PoorPeoplesMovements #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction

St. Paul, MN – The battle is under way to put a moratorium on home forecloses in Minnesota. The first legislative hearing on an bill to put a moratorium on foreclosures and evictions began with a joint hearing by State Senate Economic Development and Housing Budget Division and Health and Housing and Family Security Committee, Jan. 27 at the Minnesota state capitol.

Before the hearing, there was a news conference featuring legislators who are sponsoring the legislation – state Senator Scott Dibble and state Representative Jeff Hayden – along with Deb Konechne of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout and Leslie Parks, a Minneapolis woman who is resisting foreclosure took place before the hearing.

At the press conference, Konechne stated, “The legislation being sponsored by Senator Dibble and Representative Hayden and being heard this week is an initiative to protect working and low-income people from the worst effects of the foreclosure crisis as well as protect tenants in rental properties that go into foreclosure.”

Konechne continued, “Low-income and working people did not create this crisis and we should not be losing our homes due to the economic crisis of the rich and powerful. The federal government is providing hundreds of billions of dollars to banks and corporations. Minnesota must take action.”

The Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout, a group of community, labor and other organizations, has been working with a broad range of community organizations to win support for the legislation.

The act would put in place protections for tenants in rental properties that are foreclosed.

“Tenants should not be evicted from their homes just because the landlord loses the property. Because the Legislature prescribes the foreclosure and eviction processes in this state, it can revise those processes to protect tenants in their homes,” said Peter Brown of Minnesota Tenants Union, who testified at the Jan. 27 senate hearing.

Phyllis Walker, president of AFSCME Local 3800 at the University of Minnesota, also testified. “When working people are laid off and cannot pay their mortgage, they try to renegotiate their loan. But it doesn't work because banks and lending institutions do not negotiate in good faith. They simply go through the motions and then foreclose on the property. Why is that? Is it because the home owner who has been paying a note every month for the past ten years can’t be trusted to live up to the terms of a new agreement? Is it because the bank or financial institution will take such a huge loss they will have to close their doors. The answer to both is no.”

The National Alliance to End Homelessness, in a January 2009 report, estimated that 1.5 million additional people in the U.S. would become homeless over the next two years. This is over and above the number who would experience homelessness without the effects of the economic crisis.

“With the unemployment rate staying high for some period of time, with the overall effects of the economic crisis, working and low income people and our communities need continued protection from losing our homes and stability,” said the Bailout Coalition's Alan Dale.

The Minnesota Coalition for People's Bailout is planning a demonstration for Feb. 4, the opening day of the legislature. The bill for a moratorium on foreclosures will be formally introduced that day.

#StPaulMN #CapitalismAndEconomy #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #DebKonechne #Foreclosure #Eviction #LeslieParks

Minneapolis, MN – Leslie Parks and her backers went to housing court Dec. 9 and filed papers against IndyMac/One West for doing an unlawful lockout. Leslie Parks had arrived home the night before only to find that all the locks had been changed on her home.

In a preliminary order, the judge ruled that IndyMac must let Leslie back into her home.

Meanwhile, the CEO of IndyMac, Terry Laughlin, called Parks, leaving a message that included an apology. Later, in a phone call with Park’s lawyer, IndyMac CEO Laughlin explained that they were taking full responsibility for the lockout and again he wished to offer great apologies to the Parks family. “I want to become personally involved in this,” he added. He also said that locksmiths were standing by outside Leslie Parks' home to repair the locks.

It took the locksmiths over two hours to fix all the locks at Leslie's house. In all, eight locks had to be replaced – including padlocked closet doors in the basement and interior of the house. There was a lot of senseless damage done to wrench open locked doors.

“We will continue this fight until the Parks family gets justice,” stated Linden Gawboy of the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout.

#MinneapolisMN #CapitalismAndEconomy #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #LeslieParks

Minneapolis, MN – On the night of Dec. 8, in a freezing blizzard, Leslie Parks returned from her job to find that IndyMac/One West had changed the locks to her home.

Locking Leslie Parks out of her home is illegal. In fact it is beyond illegal, given the struggle that Leslie Parks is waging to keep her home. It is a cynical breach of what all assumed were good faith negotiations on the part of IndyMac/One West.

After the start of national call-in week to IndyMac officials, organized by the Network to Fight for Economic Justice, IndyMac informed Leslie Parks, in writing, on Nov. 25 that they were rescinding both the foreclosure and the sheriffs sale. According to Ms. Parks, “I got an email from IndyMac stating, and I quote, 'In an effort to work with you and your mother and come to a resolution, we have started the process of rescinding the Trusteed Sale which took place on May 29, 2009.' They go on to say, and again I quote, 'You expressed concern that at the end of the redemption period (on Monday November 30, 2009) you and your mother will be evicted from the property. Rest assured, that will not take place due to the rescission of the foreclosure sale.'”

On Monday, Nov. 30, the Parks family and advocates had a phone conference with IndyMac to renew negotiations for the home. But 8 days later, IndyMac locked Leslie Parks out.

The Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout and the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign are putting out an action alert to call IndyMac about this situation.

Bailout lawyers also point out that even if IndyMac had not come to the table, the next step would be a notice to come to court for eviction proceedings. In no case should the locks be changed. “They did the same thing in May of this year – changed the locks illegally. We had to take them to court and fine them, and we will do it again,” said Deb Konechne, of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout.

#MinneapolisMN #CapitalismAndEconomy #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #LeslieParks

Minneapolis, MN – Friends, neighbors and supporters of Leslie Parks, a longtime resident of south Minneapolis who is facing foreclosure, gathered in front of her home Nov. 19, to demand that her mortgage holder – IndyMac – come to the table and reach an agreement that allows Parks to remain in her home.

Linden Gawboy, of the Minnesota Coalition for a People's Bailout announced a national call in campaign to pressure IndyMac. The campaign has the backing of the Network to Fight for Economic Justice.

The following call is being circulated by the Network to Fight for Economic Justice:

Save Leslie Parks' home!

CALL

IndyMac/One West – the company trying to steal another home from our community.

1. Steven Mnuchin – One West Bank chairman of the board of directors: 212-301-8400.

2. IndyMac/One West: 800-669-2300, then hit 3 (directory), then zero for operator, who refers you to “Corporate Customer Experience.” Leave a message, which “will be returned in 24 hours.” Direct this message to CEO Terry Laughlin.

Explain you are calling about the Parks property at 3749 Park Ave in Minneapolis. Tell them to quit stalling and come to the table – before the redemption period ends on Nov. 30 – so the Parks family can keep their home. Ms. Parks has secured enough financing for a viable “short sale,” and her offer should be accepted.

Also, make the point that they are reaping a corrupt “benefit” from the fraudulent practice of a mortgage broker that sold Tecora Parks on an ARM on behalf of IndyMac. They are making money off of a swindle. We are sick of banks wrecking our communities.

IndyMac thinks it can make big bucks trying to steal this home, but it won't, because Leslie Parks has no intention of giving up!

Background info:

Leslie Parks lives in south Minneapolis. Her family has owned the building for nearly 20 years. Because of needing to pay for city-ordered storm windows, Leslie’s mother was swindled into getting an ARM (adjustable rate mortgage). The man from Allied Mortgage who sold her the ARM lied and insisted it was a conventional loan. It is important to note that Ms. Parks had perfect credit and qualified for a conventional loan hands down. But she was lied to, got swindled into an ARM, and after months of trying to keep up, both Leslie and her mother lost their good credit and went into foreclosure.

Time is short. The 'redemption period' ends Nov. 30. If nothing changes, at that point IndyMac can start eviction proceedings.

OneWest/IndyMac Federal Bank FSB is the bank that owns the mortgage. Some IndyMac reps are claiming that they won't do a “short payoff” during the redemption period. Leslie is working on securing financing and actually has enough for a viable short payoff, if only IndyMac would agree. “I feel like IndyMac is giving us the runaround again, like have done since the beginning,” states Leslie Parks. Advocates have noted that it is common for banks to agree so some kind of short sale during the redemption period.

The FDIC stepped in to bail out the IndyMac investors and gifted the bank to OneWest. In this time of economic crisis, we need to make it clear that it’s time that the people get some help.

Contact us and let us know you called IndyMac/OneWest...

Network to Fight for Economic Justice

info@WeSayFightBack.com

#MinneapolisMN #CapitalismAndEconomy #MinnesotaCoalitionForAPeoplesBailout #HousingStruggles #Foreclosure #Eviction #LeslieParks

Grove Parc Plaza Apartments is a 504-unit subsidized complex on Cottage Grove between 60th and 63rd Street in the gentrifying Woodlawn community on Chicago’s South Side. It sits on valuable land blocks south of the University of Chicago and the proposed site of the 2016 Olympic Stadium. The complex failed two inspections last year and HUD is threatening to foreclose. As tenant Shanquanta Price explained at a packed meeting with HUD last June, “A long time the apartments haven’t been fixed up, now all of a sudden all these pretty houses getting built up they say, oh now we discovered y’all living in crud.”

People across the country are watching Grove Parc for the precedent it will set for the future of large subsidized housing complexes. HUD has two choices. It can keep the housing, or it can close the complex and give tenants vouchers, which would cause many to become homeless.

Ever since the demolition of public housing there are few remaining family-sized apartments that accept vouchers. Vouchers can’t be used on a block with multiple empty lots or abandoned buildings, are lost if they go unused for 180 days and tenants using them are forced to move every time a landlord fails inspections.

The alternative is to turn the complex over to a new owner who will work with tenants to bring the complex up to code and keep it subsidized. This is a real possibility, as national non-profit Preservation Of Affordable Housing is making progress in negotiations with the current owner. They have met with the Grove Parc Tenants Association and believe they have the resources to carry out its vision, which is to keep at least 300 subsidized units on site and transfer the rest within the neighborhood. But HUD is under pressure from powerful forces to ignore this alternative, pass out vouchers, and make way for new development on this valuable land.

Mary George, a 35-year resident of the complex and grandmother of five who works full time as a day care provider and retail clerk explains , “Grove Parc was beautiful when it was built. It was like a small village, a real community. If it is placed into the right hands, we believe that it can be that way again, and we want to be here for the change. Single mothers, the elderly, people with disabilities, we all need affordable housing.”

For more information: Call (773) 753-9674 or email grove.parc.leadership.team@gmail.com.

#ChicagoIL #CapitalismAndEconomy #News #AfricanAmerican #HousingStruggles #Protest #GroveParc #Foreclosure #HUD

Chicago, IL – “Homeland security arrests us ‘cause we are trying to stay in our homes. We told them, ‘Housing is a human right and we wasn’t goin’ without a fight!’” said Grove Parc tenant and Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP) organizer Lonnie Richardson amidst cheers of tenants and supporters gathered on a cold November day outside the offices of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in downtown Chicago.

Tenants at Grove Parc Plaza Apartments, which sits in the shadows of the University of Chicago and the proposed site for the 2016 Olympic Stadium, have achieved a major victory in the struggle to stop their community of over 400 hard-working black families from being displaced. Since HUD threatened in 2006 to send Grove Parc to foreclosure because of failed inspections, tenants have been organizing to keep all 504 units subsidized and in the community.

“I love this area. It’s close to transportation, the hospitals, museums, the parks,” says tenant Alberta ‘Peaches’ Morton. Tenant leaders spent countless hours educating their neighbors about the dangers of vouchers, which make many tenants have to move over and over again because most landlords won’t take them and if a landlord fails inspections the tenant is punished and forced to move.

Rather than let the powers that be use false promises to take over the land, tenants got over half the complex to sign up for the Tenants Association and endorse a vision to bring in new owners and management, keep the project-based subsidies and give tenants access to the tools and support to turn around their community. They brought in a reputable non-profit developer called Preservation Of Affordable Housing, which committed to work towards the tenants’ vision and got the owners to agree to sell.

But despite broad support of tenants, the community and elected officials, HUD rejected Preservation Of Affordable Housing’s first plan and pushed towards demolition, displacement and foreclosure. Refusing to give up, tenants took over the HUD office demanding an extension and a second chance for a good plan.

“We had set up a meeting with the head of HUD. It got kind of heated and he said he’d see us in court and that’s when the rest of our people started pouring in and we said we weren’t going anywhere,” said tenant Sheila Rush. Following the sit-in HUD changed course and tenants received word that HUD had accepted a revised Preservation Of Affordable Housing plan. On Jan 15, Preservation Of Affordable Housing took over management – the first step towards turning around Grove Parc, preserving needed subsidies and stopping racial and economic displacement from valuable community land.

With this victory, the Grove Parc Tenants Association, a member of STOP, has achieved a strategic win in the nationwide fight for the human right to housing. With HUD increasingly pushing vouchers and moving towards housing privatization and community displacement, Grove Parc is a battleground in the fight over the future of subsidized housing.

The struggle is far from over and tenants are not letting up their guard. They are creating a decision-making agreement with Preservation Of Affordable Housing and working to ensure that the complex is brought up to code and that the right of return is guaranteed to current residents. “A lot of people underestimated us. We came together in unity, it wasn’t easy but we had to stay persistent and I’m just glad for the victory. We still have some things that we have to accomplish but we’re making progress,” says Faith McGhee, one of the leaders of the Grove Parc Tenants Association.

#ChicagoIL #CapitalismAndEconomy #News #AfricanAmerican #HousingStruggles #Protest #GroveParc #Foreclosure #HUD