Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Transcript of Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Ideas forOrganizing
At-RiskHomeowners
Best Practices
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Working off Lists
There are waysto buy lists of people goingthroughforeclosure orwho areunderwater onloans.
Caution: These
folks are
approached by
scam artists
everyday…so
the work should
be done door-
to-door.
Most Recordersof Deeds andCourthouseshave records of properties to beauctioned off, aswell as those
recently sold.
Newspapers alsolist impending
sheriff sales andforeclosureactions.
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Referrals
There are many borrowers whom social service agenciescannot help.
It is worthwhile, though admittedly difficult, to buildrelationships with social service providers who are veryprotective of clients.
• The emergence of Occupy will help with this but its important to:
• Go in with a specific plan for these families to fight rather than meeklyface foreclosure.
• Be respectful, courteous, and put in the time to build trust.
• Discuss successful examples of eviction defense/home reclamations
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Some Agencies to ApproachIf we can put flyers
out through schools---we should.
Housing counselingAgencies
United WayAgencies and/or the
labor supportcenter for theUnited Way
Organizationsproviding job training
or other classes
Unions, particularlythose like the buildingtrades with high rates
of unemploymentamong theirmembership
Homeless andtransitional housing
service providers
City and State offices,unemployment
offices if those stillexist
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Other Strategies
General
Canvassing
Going on the
Radio
Doing Actionsthat Get Press
• For neighborhoods with high foreclosureand underwater percentages, generalcanvassing or door-knocking might surfaceenough borrowers.
• African-American or Latino radio• Bring it up in the context of a Winter
Strategy • You will need a hotline number with a
machine and a good system for returning calls
• Good press possibilities if you engage indirect action against lenders (or the FederalReserve, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac)
• To hear from families facing foreclosure:create a link to email for help on yourhome page along with a hotline number.
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Intro
Hi, my name is (Name) and I’m
with (Organization). We are agroup working with homeownershaving issues with their mortgage
with (Bank).
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Probing
What hasyour
experiencebeen
dealing with
(Bank)?
Have they been
difficult to work with?
What ishappening with yourmortgageright now?
Are youfacing foreclosureor eviction? When is
thesheriff ’ssale or
evictiondate?
What willyou do if you lose
yourhome?
How willthat affectyou and
yourfamily?
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Agitation
Your story is exactly why we’re doing this work. While average families have been struggling withtheir mortgages, big banks like (Bank) have beenbailed out by the government and have recordedrecord profits.
Have you been offered a bailout? Do you think it’sfair?
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Vision
What doyou think it
would taketo save yourhome?
Stop thesheriff ’ssale/eviction?
What if youhad 50people, family,friends, andallies thatcame andstood with
you andrefused toleave until(Bank) works
with you in afair way?
What if it
were 100people?
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Talk through the issues
Raise the
possibility of starting small
andescalating.
Look at thepress from
December 6th
Answerquestions.
Don’t
overcommit.
If peoplecan’t really
camp out at
the houseuntil the
situations isresolved thensay what you
can do.
Make surefamilies
understand
and arecommittednot just tothemselves,but to the
99%
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
Ask Do you want to fight tosave your home?
Would you be willing totalk to your neighbors
about what’s happening?
Would you be willing tohave a group of Occupy
Wall Street protesters comeand camp on your lawn /stay in your house until
(Bank) agrees to asolution?
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Different Types of Action
Auction Protest
BasicDescription
Protest at foreclosure saleauctions to discourage
purchase by any investorwho intends to evict. We
want resale to owner.
Alternative Type
Loud with numbers. Seekto postpone. Seek toappear threatening.
Smaller. Bear witness.Engage with investors.
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Different Types of Action
Vigils
BasicDescription
Candelight and other vigilsin front of someone’s
house to mobilizeneighborhood support.
Alternative Type
Solemn, candles,testimony, draw out
neighbors
Set stage for blockade.More militant and spirited.
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Different Types of Action
Bank Pickets
BasicDescription
Picketing in front of bank branch officesdowntown and inneighborhoods.
Alternative Type
Small and frequent.Constant Presence.
Large , well planned.
Questions
Will there be actioninside?
Are you Willing To
Risk Arrest?
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Different Types of Action
Bank Functions
BasicDescription
Protests and bank dinners andevents, such as sporting events,
chamber of commerce meetings,any place where the bank would
like to have good PR.
Alternative Type
Is Goal to Disrupt? To Be VisiblePresence>
Does event require large turnout& planning? What is narrative
that counters bank story?
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Different Types of Action
Blockades
BasicDescription
Protest at moment of eviction where some sit indoor way and risk arrest.28 blockades called since
Jan. 2008. Arrests 3 times.
Alternative Type
All blockades are “last
minute” (48 hours +)
Questions
Will anyone risk arrest?
Importance of individualcase vs. moment?
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Different Types of Action
More Options
BasicDescription
Use a variety of non-violent tactics to
prevent the sheriff from coming in
Alternative Type
Community meeting
Community basedrally, or series
Occupation
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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The Occupation Itself
A lot of the occupation itself in eviction defense can be rather dull.
Some things can build energy:
• Holding General Assembly’s at the house on a regular and advertise basis
• Creating work groups:
• Actions, cleanup, neighborhood relations, media (both talking with press andcreating our own videos and stories.)
Make it visible: signs and banners and art are important
Make it fun: host activities for neighborhood kids, teach-ins, etc
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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The Big Picture
Stay in touch with OccupyOurHomes.org and we willpost your stories and videos and host calls that keepyou in touch with home occupations across thecountry.
Know that we will be able to help some families keeptheir homes, and others not, but that this a long fightagainst the 1% and the banks.
We need a fair system, so keep your eyes on the largerdemands, and continuing to emphasize that struggle.
8/3/2019 Ideas for Organizing At-Risk Homeowners
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Occupy Our Homes Toolkit
8 X 11 “I am not leaving sign.”
11 X 17 “I am not leaving sign.”
Sample Letter to the Bank
Petition
Still need help? Sign up for a Conference Call hosted by the experience organizers at ACCE.