Winter is here, and within cold weather and the frigid economy, thousands of people have been thrown out of their homes. Banks have seized thousands of family homes, leaving them vacant, unused, and unsold. These are the same banks that were bailed out by the Federal government when they wouldn’t pay their bills, yet for ordinary people, there is no such safety net. But people are beginning to fight back. People inspired by the Occupy protests have started to challenge these banks by occupying their homes and refusing to be evicted.
Foreclosure Facts
- Since 2006, the number of foreclosed homes has doubled.
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Every 3 months, 250,000 family homes go into foreclosure.
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In 2011 alone, there have been more than 2.17 million foreclosures.
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One child in every United States classroom is at risk of losing their home because their parents are unable to make their mortgage payments.
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For every homeless person in the United States, there are six vacant houses or apartments.
Occupy a Foreclosure
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In Minneapolis, a Vietnam veteran named Bobby Hull was at risk of losing his house after medical problems led to financial difficulties. He teamed up with people around the Occupy movement and together, they started occupying his home, promising to remain until the bank postponed the eviction.
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In Atlanta, a local police officer contacted the Occupy Atlanta protest encampment and informed them that his family would be evicted from their home in just days. On November 7th, nearly two-dozen protesters assembled in front of the home, refusing to allow the bank to take the property. Authorities haven’t yet rescheduled an eviction date.
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In West Oakland, Gayla Newsome was evicted from her home in which she and her two daughters lived for 15 years. On December 7th, Newsome and 75 others from the Occupy Oakland camp started to occupy the house.
These communities throughout the country are starting to show how we can fight back against foreclosures. We can organize together, and when someone we know is being forced out of their home, we can stand our ground and say no! In a country that has six vacancies for every homeless person, foreclosures likes these are absolutely unacceptable and people are right to fight back.
