Over a dozen group members converged on the Main Street Worcester branch of Bank of America demanding they cease on-going evictions of residents in their foreclosed properties. The flier distributed at the speakout further explains the situation,

“After foreclosure, lenders and mortgage companies are evicting every household in the foreclosed buildings, both former tenants and former owners. That means 30,000 households will be evicted in Massachusetts in the next 12 months. All these people will be evicted “no-fault”. They are willing to pay rent but the Bank will not accept the rent. This is not right! It creates homelessness, vacant buildings, more crime, and declining neighborhoods.”

The Worcester action was held in solidarity with the Roxbury 4, who were recently arrested while attempting to prevent an eviction. On Sept. 5, Bank of America (through its subsidiary, Countrywide) forcibly evicted Paula Taylor from her home at 76 Perrin St. in Roxbury. In order to do that, they arrested Bank Tenants Association members who sat in the doorway in an “eviction blockade.” Bank of America evicted Paula even though she was (1) offering to pay rent, (2) willing to move voluntarily for any new owner who actually wanted to move in (not another bank), (3) offering to buy at appraised value herself with a deed restriction so the bank knew she wouldn’t make a killing, (4) find another buyer who would rent to her.

The Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team met with Steve Mecham, one of the tenant organizers from Vida Urbana/City Life in Boston a few months ago to better understand their tenant rights work and anti-foreclosure strategies. In response, participants began regular door to door outreach both to homeowners and tenants in properties recently recorded in the newspaper as entering foreclosure. Any homeowner or tenant being harassed by lenders, pushed to vacate their apartment, having difficulty getting banks or bank agents to maintain their property, etc. are strongly encouraged to attend one of the groups 2 monthly meetings.

This past spring, the group worked as part of the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending to have state legislation passed that would 1) declare a moratorium on foreclosures resulting from predatory lending, 2) end “no-fault” foreclosure evictions and 3) guarantee a judicial review of all foreclosures. Early this summer the Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team was successful in getting the Worcester City Council to pass similar homerule petitions locally, but the legislative request was never acted on by the state legislature.

Recently, the group wrote to City Manager Michael O’Brien supportive of his general “Buy Worcester” initiative, but critical of those aspects of his proposal which focus more on attracting new homebuyers to come to Worcester rather than prioritizing first-time homebuyers from within Worcester’s neighborhoods. In particular, the group was very critical of the City Manager’s proposal to erect billboards in Boston and Providence to recruit homebuyers.

The Worcester Anti-Foreclosure Team meets the First and Third Wednesday of every month at 5:30pm at the Pleasant Street Neighborhood Network Center, 301 Pleasant St. The group continues local efforts to stop foreclosures resulting from predatory lending, end no-fault evictions, and assist homeowners and tenants know their rights.

At the post-demo evaluation, many voiced a recurring thought, “We need to go back to Bank of America again.”

Atty. Phil Stone speak on the devastating effects of the foreclosure crisis

Laura Suroviak speaks in support of the Roxbury 4

Grace Ross speaks on the statewide foreclosure crisis