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Ideas forOrganizing

At-RiskHomeowners

Best Practices

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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.

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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

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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

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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.

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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).

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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%

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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

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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

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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.

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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.