A housing advocacy group kicked off its “home-staying campaign" today to help homeowners facing foreclosure remain in their homes.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the nation's largest community organization of low and moderate-income families, has trained volunteers how to peacefully sit-in and prevent a homeowner from being evicted because of foreclosure.
These residents are willing to be arrested rather than be evicted from their homes.
"We're standing together, helping to keep families in their homes until there is a comprehensive solution to the foreclosure crisis," said Julia Boyd of ACORN.
The campaign was launched this morning outside the Laurelton, Queens home of Myrna Millington. The 73-year-old's home was foreclosed in September and has already been scheduled for auction once. If there is a winning bid, Millington will be served an eviction notice.
"There are a lot of people of my age that are going through the same thing and we must all stick together as one family and save our homes," she said.
President Barack Obama announced a mortgage recovery program on Wednesday that will go into effect on March 4 and aims to save nine million homes from foreclosure. The plan allows families to negotiate loan modifications and restructure mortgages.
ACORN organizers are calling for a one-year moratorium for all foreclosures across the state that have already been filed.
"For too long now, families have been losing their homes because of terrible loans that Wall Street gave out, and banks gave out, and now they're taking these people's homes," said ACORN community organizer Jon Westin.
The organizers say that 5,000 foreclosures were filed in Queens in 2008, which is an estimated 15 to 25 percent increase of the number of filings in 2007.
A spokesman with the mayor's office says that citywide more than 4,000 foreclosed homes eventually went to auction in 2008, a significant increase from the year before.
"What the Obama administration announced over the last couple of days has to stop these immediate foreclosure," said City Councilman David Weprin, chairman of the finance committee. "A number of banks are voluntarily agreeing to a moratorium, but not enough."
Meanwhile, other elected officials continue offering help with foreclosures. Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks led a focus group on the mortgage crisis with religious and community leaders.
"They can call my office, call any of the elected officials' offices and we have people in place that will sit down with them with no charge so they're not victimized," said Meeks.
The ACORN campaign will continue until the president's homeowners' recovery package is officially in place.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the nation's largest community organization of low and moderate-income families, has trained volunteers how to peacefully sit-in and prevent a homeowner from being evicted because of foreclosure.
These residents are willing to be arrested rather than be evicted from their homes.
"We're standing together, helping to keep families in their homes until there is a comprehensive solution to the foreclosure crisis," said Julia Boyd of ACORN.
The campaign was launched this morning outside the Laurelton, Queens home of Myrna Millington. The 73-year-old's home was foreclosed in September and has already been scheduled for auction once. If there is a winning bid, Millington will be served an eviction notice.
"There are a lot of people of my age that are going through the same thing and we must all stick together as one family and save our homes," she said.
President Barack Obama announced a mortgage recovery program on Wednesday that will go into effect on March 4 and aims to save nine million homes from foreclosure. The plan allows families to negotiate loan modifications and restructure mortgages.
ACORN organizers are calling for a one-year moratorium for all foreclosures across the state that have already been filed.
"For too long now, families have been losing their homes because of terrible loans that Wall Street gave out, and banks gave out, and now they're taking these people's homes," said ACORN community organizer Jon Westin.
The organizers say that 5,000 foreclosures were filed in Queens in 2008, which is an estimated 15 to 25 percent increase of the number of filings in 2007.
A spokesman with the mayor's office says that citywide more than 4,000 foreclosed homes eventually went to auction in 2008, a significant increase from the year before.
"What the Obama administration announced over the last couple of days has to stop these immediate foreclosure," said City Councilman David Weprin, chairman of the finance committee. "A number of banks are voluntarily agreeing to a moratorium, but not enough."
Meanwhile, other elected officials continue offering help with foreclosures. Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks led a focus group on the mortgage crisis with religious and community leaders.
"They can call my office, call any of the elected officials' offices and we have people in place that will sit down with them with no charge so they're not victimized," said Meeks.
The ACORN campaign will continue until the president's homeowners' recovery package is officially in place.
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