Occupy SF Housing, ACCE, MEDA, and Occupy Bernal are working together to invite attorneys for a legal strategy session on how to halt foreclosures and related evictions. We’ve begun discussions with the National Lawyer’s Guild about their participation as well.
Invitation
Once the invitation below is finalized, we plan to encourage participation at the Legal Strategies to Halt Foreclosure meeting by sending it out to the list of attorney invitees as well as to attorney email lists.
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From: legalstrategy@occupysfhousing.org
To: {attorney email addresses}
Subject: Legal Strategies to Halt Foreclosures and Related Auctions and Evictions
Are you an attorney concerned about the housing crisis and the predatory bank loans that have thrown millions out of their homes?
If so, you’re invited to a meeting on legal strategies to halt foreclosures and related auctions and evictions.
What:
Legal Strategies Session to Halt Foreclosures and Related Auctions and Evictions
When:
11:00am to 1:00pm on Wednesday, May 16
Where (unless we find a downtown law office willing to host the event):
Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA)
2301 Mission Street, Suite 301
San Francisco, CA 94110
Proposed agenda at http://occupysfhousing.org/wordpress/?p=51#legalstrategiesagenda
Attorneys invited listed at http://occupysfhousing.org/wordpress/?p=51#legalstrategiesinvitees
The movement to keep people in their homes needs effective legal strategies and support to succeed. Please consider joining us for this important meeting.
Please RSVP for the meeting by sending an email to legalstrategy@occupysfhousing.org.
If you have materials on relevant law and legislation to cite in a packet for meeting participants, please send along with your RSVP.
Please feel free to forward this invitation on to other attorneys who may be interested in attending.
In solidarity,
Occupy SF Housing, ACCE, MEDA, Occupy Bernal
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Background:
Banks have created a housing crisis by offering predatory loans and, despite receiving billions in taxpayer bailouts, have refused in many cases to provide a fair deal to their mortgage loan customers, pressuring or evicting millions of neighbors from their homes and resulting in the largest land grab since the Great Depression.
Occupy and established housing rights organizations have tried to shift the tide and have gained the attention of elected officials in San Francisco, Sacramento, and elsewhere. State Attorney Kamala Harris has called for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to suspend foreclosure activity until fair settlements are in place and the Board of Supervisors and Mayor of San Francisco have called for a moratorium or pause on foreclosures until the state legislature passes the Homeowner Bill of Rights. But so far, our elected officials have been powerless to stop the banks from continuing foreclosures and related auctions and evictions.
In San Francisco, the Occupy the Auctions and Evictions campaign has stopped many foreclosure auctions since April 27, 2012, by direct action methods, postponing the auctions of dozens of homes, but it is unknown how long this will be successful.
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Organizations and Campaigns:
Occupy SF Housing is a coalition which includes OccupySF, SF Tenants Union, Housing Rights Committee of SF, Causa Justa :: Just Cause, Eviction Defense Collaborative, ACCE, Homes Not Jails, Occupy Bernal, and other community groups and individuals. The coalition came together to stop banks from evicting tenants and homeowners through foreclosures or through their partnerships with real estate speculators. Web: http://www.occupysfhousing.org
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) is raising up the voices of low income, immigrant and working families across California. Web: http://www.calorganize.org
Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) is a community-based, local economic development corporation located in the Mission District of San Francisco. For over 38 years MEDA has worked to improve economic and social conditions in the neighborhood by stimulating investment, enhancing the business environment, and creating jobs for area residents. MEDA is committed to maintaining the cultural identity and resources of the Mission District. Web: http://medasf.org
Occupy Bernal is a neighborhood-based Occupy currently focusing on preventing the banks from throwing our neighbors out of their homes. Web: http://www.occupybernal.org
Occupy the Auctions/Evictions is a campaign to halt for-profit and predatory evictions, foreclosures, and foreclosure auctions in San Francisco and beyond. Web: http://www.occupytheauctions.org and http://www.occupyevictions.org
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Meeting Agenda
(Proposed)
If you have suggestions for the meeting agenda, please let us know at legalstrategy@occupysfhousing.org.
Agenda for Legal Strategy Meeting on Foreclosures
Target duration: 2 hours
I. Introductions (5 minutes)
II. Overview of Current Housing Crisis (5 minutes)
III. Overview of Current Foreclosure and Related Law (20 minutes)
A. U.S. Law
B. California Law
C. San Francisco Law
IV. Pending Legislation (10 minutes)
A. U.S. Congress
B. California (Homeowner Bill of Rights)
C. San Francisco
V. Litigation Theories (20 minutes)
VI. Strategy Brainstorming (30 minutes)
VII. Legal Support for Foreclosure/Auction/Eviction Activists (10 minutes)
VIII. Followup Tasks (20 minutes)
A. Workgroup(s)
B. Email List(s)
C. Next Meeting(s)
Invitee List
Here is a proposed list of attorneys to invite to a legal strategy meeting focused on halting foreclosures and related auctions and evictions.
We are planning to have other organizers who are not attorneys attend to provide perspectives on current activism, legislation, and other topics, but the focus of the meeting will be on participation of the attorneys who attend.
If you know other attorneys who should receive an invitation, please let us know at legalstrategy@occupysfhousing.org.
