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Several weeks ago, Occupy Wall St. requested a national day of action to start working together against foreclosure. Today, Occupations across America went home. They went to the homes of many affected by the greed of the 1%. Predatory lending practices led to the current housing bubble bursting. This American Life, an NPR radio show, does an excellent job of explaining just how this bubble burst. Listen here.
Today’s actions in Portland were coordinated by the We Are Oregon coalition and Unsettle Portland.
From We Are Oregon:
Homeowners and community activists across the country are participating in today’s National Day of Action to Occupy Our Homes. In Oregon, neighbors and activists joined We Are Oregon as they stood behind homeowners Debbie and Ron Austin who, after losing their jobs and falling ill, slid into foreclosure and are currently losing their home.
Many Oregonians are one paycheck or one medical bill away from losing their homes and there is no relief in sight. After attempting to work with their bank to modify their loan and being consistently ignored and turned away Debbie and Ron are saying “enough is enough” and refusing to give up their home. They plan on resisting eviction with the help of their community and have a “Home for the Holidays.”
And Unsettle Portland, a sister group of Occupy Portland focusing on foreclosures, released this Press Statement today:
Unsettle Portland is a grassroots organization, and a local affiliate of the Take Back the Land movement, dedicated to community control of land and housing. We are here as part of the evolution of Occupy Wall Street as it shifts into supporting the people who are on the front lines of the premeditated mortgage crisis. People who are facing imminent eviction, even as thousands of houses remain empty in every major city.
We are here today to let these homeowners, Ron and Deb Austin, as well as homeowners everywhere, know that there are organizers and activists of all kinds, who are interested in supporting your right to stay in your home. The political-economic system has once again failed the people of this country. You already know that Mayor Sam Adams is available for some well-worded hand-wringing when an eviction notice is issued. You already know that the media talking heads are prepared to dedicate moments of their newscast to some head-shaking when another family is put out onto the street.
What we want you to know right here, right now, is that we are here in solidarity today, and we will be here in solidarity when the sheriff’s office comes knocking, because this is your home, and it is a human right to have housing. No bank, no predatory financial institution has a right to take that away from you. Especially not when they were bailed out with our money. Especially after they made billions of dollars by preying on those of us made vulnerable through a system of economic injustice which affects access to health care, quality education and meaningful employment.
This is your home. As long as you stand in it, we will stand with you. We are the 99% and its time to unsettle the banks.
Thank you.
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