Occupy Our Homes: Reportback

News Topics

Report from the Bay Area Dec 3rd & 6th, 2011 actions

Sat, Dec 3rd, Causa Justa :: Just Cause led a Mission District march against evictions and foreclosures, with moving member testimonies from working class tenants fighting to keep their homes in the face of gentrification. We joined rallies from the Bayview, Castro & Tenderloin for a march with Occupy SF. After converging we had a sit-in on Sansome St., where Causa Justa :: Just Cause led the first Spanish-language “people’s mic” with a crowd of hundreds, demanding housing rights.

Dec_6_Foreclose_Action_4_joshwarrenwhite

Tues, Dec 6, we joined 27 other cities in a national day of action to “Occupy Our Homes”. We collaborated with Occupy Oakland activists to take over a vacant home in West Oakland, which is owned by Fannie Mae. Earlier this year Fannie Mae foreclosed on the home of CJJC member and domestic worker from East Oakland, Margarita Ramirez, as a servicer pretended to negotiate with her. Thanks to your support in July, the servicer (Bank of America) agreed to rescind the sale & modify the loan, but Fannie Mae is now standing in our way. Neighborhood activists are occupying the vacant house as leverage to pressure Fannie Mae to return the Ramirez family’s deed.

CJJC has also been calling on the federal government to turn the hundreds of thousands of vacant properties they now own, having taken over Fannie Mae, into affordable housing for the millions of people, the 99%, who are facing foreclosure, eviction, and homelessness.

The community showed support, chatting over BBQ in the yard, and staying for free tenants’ right & foreclosure prevention workshops that we led inside the house.