Emergency Occupy Actions to Foreclosed Families and Tenants in Their Homes

Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Release

October 29th, 2011

What: Neighborhood-based Occupy groups join Anti-Eviction organizers to protest home foreclosures and forced evictions.

When & Where: Three Actions on Sat, Oct 29th:
 
    10:00 a.m.- 3811 S. Wabash, Home of Pat Hill, 
    retired Chicago police officer facing foreclosure.
 
    11:00 a.m.- 5960 W. North Ave, Austin residents
    host a rally to fight eviction from this 12-unit
    apartment building foreclosed on two weeks ago by
    Bank of America.
 
    2:00 p.m.- Homeowners Mortgage Resources Fair
    3241 S. Federal Street, Illinois Institute of
    Technology, Herman Conference Hall

On Saturday, October 29th, protesters from Chicago's South Side will assemble at the home of retired police officer Patricia Hill and her family at 3811 S. Wabash under the banner of Occupy Bronzeville. Earlier this year, Saxon Mortgage Services foreclosed on the Hill home even though the family was not properly notified of the foreclosure and did not have a chance to challenge the foreclosure complaint until their home had already been sold. The Hill family is now fighting her eviction and calling to Saxon Mortgage Services to provide them with a new mortgage to ensure that their building will not be left vacant.

After rallying at the Hill home, the protestors will board a bus taking them to rally on west North Avenue that has been called under the banner of Occupy Austin to protect the rights of tenants in a foreclosed 12-unit apartment building. Elce Redmond of the South Austin Coalition said the rally in Austin is meant to highlight the devastation that big banks are causing in low-&-mixed income neighborhoods. The North Avenue apartment has eight families (including a disabled couple) that are facing immediate eviction on two week's notice. The building was foreclosed on by Bank of America shortly before eviction notices were sent out by the building's management company, Pangea Real Estate. Remond said Pangea has ignored complaints by tenants about the building's deteriorating condition, pests and the difficulty of finding new housing on such short notice.

After the rally, a caravan of autos carrying West-side residents will follow the bus to the South side for the Homeowners Mortgage Resources Fair, sponsored by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Illinois State Senator Mattie Hunter. According to J.R. Fleming of the Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign, "It's about all the neighborhoods in Chicago coming together."

The Homeowners Mortgage Resources Fair will have counselors from the Attorney General's office to advise homeowner's facing foreclosure, but it is not clear how many homeowners are helped at the fair.

"Is it twenty percent? Fifty percent?" asked Fleming, adding that the purpose of the IIT rally is to demand Madigan's office give the public a specific number. "Are they bringing people (to the fair) just to tell them 'no'?" Fleming said.

Saturday's actions are co-sponsored by newly-formed groups connected to the worldwide Occupy movement, including Occupy The Hood Chicago, Occupy Austin, Occupy Bronzeville and Hip Hop Occupies. All the groups involved stand in solidarity with Occupy Chicago, the national Occupy The Hood chapter headquartered in Harlem, New York and the Occupy Wall Street movements.

For more info, contact: Loren 773 750 6909