Brigitte Walker and Chris Frazer Go To Washington!!!

Yesterday, community leaders, advocates and housing experts traveled the Nation’s Capital to meet with White House officials about implementing the necessary solutions to the housing crisis that has enveloped Georgia.

American families continue to face a crisis in housing, with 2 million foreclosure filings this year, and millions more at risk. Over 15 million homeowners are underwater, meaning that their home is worth less than they owe on their mortgage. Georgia is projected to be one of the hardest hit states in the nation this year.

The crisis is rooted in wrongdoing by lenders and Wall Street and inadequate rules and enforcement. The misconduct included predatory sub-prime lending, targeting of senior citizens, veterans, and communities of color, and bundling and pawning off flawed mortgages, avoiding accountability. Those forces combined with record long-term unemployment to bring our economy to the brink of collapse, and continue to jeopardize our economic recovery.

The White House invited Brigitte Walker and Christine Frazer, both with Occupy Our Homes, ATL to discuss their priorities and possible solutions to the crisis moving forward. They were joined by over 150 other advocates and experts from across the country. 

Brigitte Walker had the special honor of addressing the whole delegation, which included senor White House staff. She received a standing ovation on more than one occasion. 

Brigitte and Christine met with key White House officials, including about specific solutions ranging from principle reduction and affordable housing.

After the White House meeting, participants visited the offices of Senators to urge them to lead on bills currently under consideration, and other potential solutions to the housing crisis.

We are very excited that Christine and Brigitte where the ones who were chosen to represent Georgia and find them to be extremely appropriate choices as they both have struggled hard through our states historic housing crisis. We are also very grateful to the Home Defenders League for making their trip possible! 

3am Evictions Will Become Illegal In DeKalb County

This past Tuesday Chris Frazer and community allies introduced a proposal that would not only make 3am evictions illegal in DeKalb County, it would also force more accountability on banks and investors to ensure the safety and dignity of folks facing eviction.

Know one know's the issue of inhumane eviction like Chris Frazer, who had her home raided by 40 armed DeKalb County deputies at 3am earlier this year. The Sheriff came with animal control for her pets, but had no where for her, her 86 year old mother, and 3 year old son to go. Chris is committed to fight against this inhumane behavior until it no longer a legal option for law enforcement to disregard basic decency.

We would like to encourage you to call Commissioner Larry Johnson( 404 371-2425) and Commissioner Stan Watson (  404-371-3681) and encourage them to pass this simple resolution.

Below is the text of the policy:

The people of Dekalb County are facing a depression era housing crisis. Sadly, there is a need to protect citizens from unscrupulous behavior with regard to evictions. This effort is designed to prevent landlords from placing tenants in harm’s way by evicting them at hours when they would be unable to obtain a means of securing their belongings after the eviction or obtaining permanent and/or temporary housing due to the hours of eviction.

This proposal would make it illegal to evict a tenant between the hours of 5:00PM and 9:00AM.

We also propose that landlords must meet the following basic criteria when moving forward with an eviction.

1.  The landlord must have an order of eviction from the appropriate court.

2.  The landlord must have a permit issued by a designated agency and/or court within Dekalb County. The landlord would be responsible for the cost, if any, of obtaining such a permit.

3.  There must be a certified law enforcement officer present during such eviction, the costs of which are the responsibility of the landlord. The name of the officer and their certification must accompany the permit application.

4.  Prior to obtaining such a permit, the landlord will:

           

a.  Provide a pre-paid storage facility capable of holding furniture for the number of rooms at the residence where the eviction is to occur. In other words, if the residence is a 3 bedroom, the storage facility will be capable of securing a 3 bedroom residence. The storage facility will be within 5 miles of the residence where the eviction is taking place.

                 

b.  Provide a pre-paid moving truck capable of moving the contents of the residence in one trip.

                 

c.  Provide at minimum a prepaid 3 star hotel room for a period of not less than 36 hours.

                 

                 

                 

These measures shouldn’t be considered radical notions, as they are already points of policy for other parts of the country.

Hungry For Housing!

This Past weekend Occupy Our Homes ATL, Community Ministry Christian Church, Antioch Baptist Church, and American Friends Service Committee teamed up to organize a community meal to raise money for Tacco Cullins and awareness of the housing crisis Atlanta is under the lash of.

The dinner was a big success and a lot of fun. Speakers, which included Tacco Cullins and Chris Frazer, were powerful and the food was delicious!

Events like this are important, not only because they raise money, because they build community. We need communities to take on this historic housing crisis facing the city, and if those communities don't exist then it's up to us to help build them.


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Sheriff Thomas Brown Has No Remorse Over 3am Eviction Of Senior Citizens

Earlier today several dozen members of the metro Atlanta community converged at DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown's office to deliver him a People's Citation for his actions against DeKalb County Resident Chris Frazer and her family.

On May 2nd Sheriff Brown and 40 of his armed officers stormed the Frazer home and evicted Chris along with her 3 year old grandson, 25 year old daughter, and her 85 year old mother. 18 years of their lives in that home were tossed in the yard like trash while members of the community watched helplessly. Many tried to help pick up Chris's belongings, but where threatened with arrest for doing so.

Last week, after much negative press, Sheriff Thomas Brown reached out to several organizers and asked what he could do to de-escalate the conflict between Occupy Atlanta, Chris Frazer, and his office. Sheriff Brown offered to accept a people's citation from the community, face Chris Frazer face to face and apologize for the pain he caused her, and contribute to her legal fees as she continues to fight Investors One Corporation.

With some skepticism, Chris Frazer agreed. As an organizer working with Chris, I was honestly excited to de-escalate with the Sheriff's office, as it feels like our energy really should be focused on the extremely shady Investors One Corporation.

Things did not play out the way any of us expected. Joe Beasley, Attorney Joshua Davis, Chris Frazer, and myself were allowed to meet with the Sheriff in his lobby while around 30 others watched from outside the glass walls. Sheriff Brown's face had no signs of reconciliation on it.

The first sign that he was backing down on his word was that he refused any media admittance to the meeting, which we had agreed he would allow. The Sheriff began to attempt to apologize, but it appeared that he just couldn't resist sharing his true remorseless feelings. At one point, as Chris Frazer had begun to weep, Sheriff Brown simply stated, "If I had to do it over again, with all the information I have now, I wouldn't have done anything differently".



In a sense Chris Frazer was forced to relive the bullying she experienced under the lash of Sheriff Brown a second time. Those of us in the room found ourselves in total bewilderment, as just days earlier Sheriff Brown had reached out to us in an attempt to make amends for the 3 a.m eviction.

After the meeting several folks, including myself, where accosted by an overwhelming number of Sheriff's officers who harassed us, demanding to take pictures of every activist who showed up, even forcing one person to show them all his tattoos.


Today was a shameful day for anyone that cares about justice in DeKalb County. We can't afford a Sheriff that disrespects folks in the community like Thomas Brown continues to.

Tomorrow(6/12) We plan to join Chris Frazer at the DeKalb County Commissioners meeting at 9am at 1300 commerce drive in the Maloof auditorium. Please come if you can.



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Residents Uniting In Struggle Against The 1% In Atlanta

It's been a big week for the newly launched Occupy Our Homes ATL(OOHA) movement. This weekend AFSC participated in an all day retreat designed to begin the tough work of building a sustainable structure and organizing strategy for OOHA.


It was especially exciting to see so many folks in the room who had personal experience standing up to the big banks and resisting foreclosure and eviction of their own homes. It was the first time we had Carmen Pittman, Chris Frazer, Brigitte Walker, and Ajai Craig all in the same room.


Many of us believe it's crucial to build a resident led movement to effectively take on Atlanta's housing crisis, which many may not know is much worse today than any other time in the city's history. In order to move towards a resident led movement we recognize that the most effected residents need to take on leadership roles from the get go, and be the face, voice, and spirit of resistance.

No one can reach out to those struggling with housing better then those who have been through it themselves. Too many people in our city silently struggle, often times in shame,to maintain a living space, while financial institutions shamelessly make record profits putting more and more Atlanta residents on the streets. Our city can no longer afford the gross disregard for human rights, our local government's inadequate response to the housing crisis, or law enforcements cooperation with illegal foreclosures.

  Here's the mission and Vision that folks agreed on at this weekend's retreat:

MISSION
We are a grassroots, member-led organization that seeks to build power in metro-Atlanta neighborhoods highly impacted by the housing crisis. By mobilizing communities around foreclosure, eviction, tenant rights, and public land rights--with an emphasis on leadership development and fostering a culture of resistance through nonviolent direct action--we strive to transform our city's approach to housing. We believe that housing is a human right regardless of race, national or ethnic origin, economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification, or immigration status.

VISION
Occupy Our Homes Atlanta plans to build a mass movement in the metro-area around the housing crisis by:

1.) organizing impacted communities around the issues they identify as affecting them the most;

  2.) developing leadership in these communities and fostering a culture of resistance, through nonviolent direct action, to public and private institutions that continue to disrespect basic human rights;

3.) inciting a cultural shift in the way we think, see, and ultimately, tolerate the hardships bred by foreclosure, eviction and homelessness;

  4.) provoking a system change in the way our city approaches housing;

5.) building communities through direct democracy, that place human need above corporate greed

  6.) and striving toward a system where people have more control over the communities they call home.

After the retreat over a dozen folks went out into the Pittsburgh(ATL) Community and canvassed the neighborhood, letting folks know about OOHA, and inviting everyone out to a community cookout.

Despite the cloudy day, which did bring some rain, the cookout was a big success. Over 60 people from the neighborhood came out in the bad weather to hang out, eat food, and give us their thoughts on how we can build movement around the housing crisis that's hit the Pittsburgh community hard.

OOHA is hosting a meeting this Thursday the 14th for folks that want more information about how to plug into the work.

AFSC is excited to have the opportunity to play a role in this important work.














Tim Franzen
 American Friends Service Committee

Occupy Our Homes ATL Lift Off!

Thanks to all who made it out on Saturday for the Occupy Our Homes ATL official launch, a project that's very close to the heart of AFSC's Georgia Peace and Conflict Resolution Program! Special thanks to Chris Frazer, Bridgette Walker, Carmen Pittman, Pastor Dexter Johnson of Higher Ground Empowerment Center, and Pamela Flores for sharing their victories and struggles; to Senator Vincent Fort and Tony Romano of Right to the City Alliance for their inspiring messages of support; to folks who donated to and participated in our silent auction; to Altobeli's for the wonderful food; and to all who pledged to defend homes in the metro-Area!

Here's what OOHA has put out on their listserv:

"Over $7,000 was pledged at the event to help us with start-up expenses and initial program costs. Our goal was to have $10,000 pledged, so we are hoping to make up the difference by extending our initial push pledges one more week. By June 1st--the same day that we will move into our new communal home and headquarters--we hope to have $10,000 pledged.

If you were unable to pledge your solidarity and financial support at our launch, please consider donating here.

You will notice that over the course of our first year we are aiming to raise $28,000 through local, grassroots support. While this initially might strike ya'll as an overly ambitious fundraising goal, we want to assure folks that we've been very thoughtful and intentional about this goal and its use. As a budding community organization with large, transformative demands to change the way our city approaches housing, we recognize that there are many resources that we need in order to not only defend homeowners and tenants from foreclosure and eviction on a mass scale, but also to strive toward a total sea change in our city's approach to housing. While there are many resources that would certainly make our work more effective, we recognize that the resources we cannot do without are committed, accountable, full-time activists.

As we moves forward with our plans, we now--perhaps more than ever--hope to make it clear that we are working under the banner of the Occupy Movement. While we will not be accountable to the GA's, but rather accountable to each other and our communities, we do recognize the contradiction of Occupy activists receiving stipends from large foundations and from the 1%. Because of this, we are aiming to support our four full-time activists solely through grassroots fundraising. Please consider donating to support our activists today."

We look forward to updating everyone on OOHA's developments soon. Stay tuned for more information about our summer Home Defense Mobilizing Conferences.

AFSC's Georgia Peace and Conflict Resolution Program aims to continue to support this important movement with trainings, resources, and space for meetings and conferences. Our cities housing crisis is unprecedented and requires unprecedented, bold, nonviolent, creative action.

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Committee

Chris Frazer, Picking Up The Pieces

Today, on Mothers Day, several of us came out to visit Chris Frazer, her mom Daisy, and Grandson Malachi at their new house, which is temporary. We brought Mothers Day flowers and offered our labor as there's still much moving around that needs to be done.

It's been just over a week since the Frazer family was evicted at gunpoint by Sheriff Thomas Brown and 40 of his officers at 3am. The trauma that the unprecedented action caused the Frazer family undeniably lingers strong. It was a tough scene to observe for anyone, but one can only imagine what it's like having you doors knocked in, physically forced out, and see all you belongings carelessly tossed onto the lawn.

Given the circumstances the Frazer family is making the best of the situation. The family's first priority was getting everyone under the same roof again.

There are needs.

The unexpected move has brought many expenses, from moving trucks, movers, broken and damaged property, first and last months rent, and turning on new utilities, the Frazers money is stretched very thin. We've set up a wepay account that goes directly into Chris Frazers account. Our hope is to get at least 2,500 by the end of the week, can you help?

https://www.wepay.com/x2tg0qn/donations/193827

There are also specific items that the family needs. They Include:

Window Treatments
Clothing hangers
Sink stoppers
Night Lights
Twin Bed, and sheets
Queen Bed and sheets
Frame for a king sized bed
Full sized bed foot board

Next steps.

This Thursday(5/17) at 7:30pm there will be a candlelight vigil in front of the home(3662 wellhaun rd, Decatur) Chris Frazer's family was evicted from in the middle of the night at 3am. We invite all who are concerned with foreclosures, evictions, and housing in general to stand with Chris Frazer and her family.

During the eviction the Frazer family had several items stolen from them, they include:

Three gold watches
Ipod
Wii video game system
Three machetes that belonged to Chris's deceased husband
An 18 inch solid gold necklace and pennant

What Sheriff  Thomas Brown did was just wrong. We're asking folks to call his office and let them know that we can't afford that kind of behavior in our communities. Call his office at this number:
404-298-8145


                 Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Protest Sheriff Thomas Browns 3am Eviction of Chris Frazer’s Family at Gunpoint

Occupy Atlanta and community allies organized a rally outside of Sheriff Thomas Browns office at 4415 Memorial Drive today. Over 100 people showed up with signs and carrying some of the wreckage that Sheriff Brown and his officers left in Chris Frazer's lawn less than a week ago. The furniture was place in front the entrance to the Sheriff's department with the idea of bring the housing crisis right to the Sheriff's doorstep. The Sheriff's office locked the door and refused to respond to community concerns. Chris Frazer, Carmen Pittman, and Pastor Johnson all spoke to the crowd outside of the Sheriffs department demanding that Sheriff Brown apologize and let Chris Frazer back in her home. After the demonstration Dekalb Sheriff Officers pulled over one of the lead organizers for no reason,threatened anyone who attempted to film the scene, impounded the vehicle, and cuffed an activists that refused to stop recorded Sheriff Browns officers as they obstructed the law. Later that activist was taken to Grady hospital for injuries and released from custody. Chris’ house was foreclosed on fraudulently by Investors One Corporation in October 2011, and she a case currently in federal court disputing the foreclosure. In March, activists with Occupy Atlanta set up camp on her lawn and committed to stay to defend Chris’ home from eviction. Using what sheriff Thomas Brown himself referred to as “intelligence,” Dekalb County law enforcement waited until activists were not present at the home, and the neighbors would be asleep, to serve an unprecedented eviction after hours, putting 4 generations including her 85 year old mother, and 3 year old grandson out on the curb. They refused to allow Chris to shower or for her mother to get dressed; they told Chris to behave as if it were a fire drill. They even rounded up her dogs and took them to the pound. The police blockaded the neighborhood and wouldn’t allow anyone to help secure the family’s valuable personal belongings from the side of the road, and they stole many of Chris’s valuables. Once again, it is clear that the government and our law enforcement officials are being used to serve and protect the interest of the 1% and not of ordinary people or even the laws that they have put in place. Occupy Atlanta and community allies are more committed than ever to the fight for Chris Frazer’s home, and the thousands of other homeowners just like her who are being disrespected every day. We cannot afford to allow Sheriff Thomas Brown to disrespect are communities in this fashion. We demand that he lets the family back into the place they've called home for the past 18 yrs. We will be meeting outside of his office Monday evening, 4-6pm, carrying signs and banners asking why he would choose to leave a family homeless at 3 in the morning at gun point and allowed her valuables to be stolen.

More Background: http://www.alternet.org/story/155292/dozens_of_police_evict_georgia_family_at_gunpoint_at_3am?ak_proof=1&akid=8725.47561.tAOB5N&rd=1&t=2

Chris Frazer’s story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BvY6_hpxlE&feature=player_embedded

Sheriff Brown Interview on the matter: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2012/05/02/too-much-truth-exclusive-sheriff-thomas-brown-gives-his-side-on-dekalb-eviction/

There are a lot of unexpected charges adding up now dealing with the eviction. Chris is scrambling to find a place for her family to stay, a storage unit for all of their belongings, and even has to pay to get the dogs out of the pound. Please donate to help in anyway you can. https://www.wepay.com/x2tg0qn/donations/193827


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

We Will Not Be Moved!!

The last 24 hours at Occupy Atlanta’s South Dekalb home Occupation (Chris Frazer’s home) have been prolific. Yesterday at 6pm Chris Frazer’s home played host to launch of the 99% Spring Offensive trainings in the Atlanta area. Union members, Church Members, folks from local grassroots organizations, and occupiers came together to talk about the economic crisis, tell their stories, engage in direct action training, and make plans for a Spring offensive that targets the institutions of the richest 1% who have been disrespecting our human rights for decades.
There are around ten of these trainings scheduled in the Atlanta area, at churches, union halls, community centers, and homes across the metro area.

Today that direct action training came in handy. Occupiers, who have been camping in the yard of Chris Frazer, where awoken at 8am this morning by the sound of two Dekalb County Marshall's who drove their patrol cars onto the property and requested to meet with the owner of the home. The Marshall's decided to back off, possibly due to the fact that a small tent city has amassed on the Frazer’s home in an effort to resist another eviction in the down trotted community.

Twenty minutes later eight patrol cars showed up, claiming to be on a routine patrol on the usually quite street. One of the occupiers decided to block the road at the entrance to 3662 Wellhaun drive, police then arrested him. Other occupiers focused their energy on mobilizing the community and other Occupy Atlanta folks. Within an hour there were around 20 folks in the yard, and a barricade had been built around the entrance of the Frazer home.

The message today was load and clear, no more foreclosures, no more evictions, we are not leaving, no one may take this home from the Frazers. Over and over again we have heard from community members all over the city that neighborhoods need people, not more empty homes, and not more boards on windows. It’s time we stand up to the institutions that caused the crisis. If they attempt to shut down hard working, everyday people, then perhaps it’s time we shut them down.


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Helicopters and Home Defense In Dekalb County Ga

At the home of A 62 year old women threatened with being evicted, Occupiers are fighting to save her home to keep a roof over her family's head.



Today, March 22nd, while working to save this home from illegal eviction everyone was greeted by multiple police cars and helicopters looming over head. Rather than investigating the clearly evident fraud perpetrated Investors One Corporation, the company that's attempting to claim Chris Frazers home, DeKalb police have turned a blind eye on the one's that needed it most.


Shapiro & Swertfeger, the counsel representing Investor One Corporation, have had all of the proper paperwork and knew of the fraud taking place through the chain of title but refuse to expose the injustices. A very predictable move on their part being that lawfirms receive 10% profit from all foreclosures. In addition, the magistrate court judge that handled the dispossessory glossed over the fact that a foreclosure deed wasn't presented at the hearing which is cause for immediate dismissal the paperwork remained unfiled until a week before the appeal was heard.



There is currently a lawsuit being filed against all parties that had a hand in these clandestine business practices. The Dekalb County Sheriff's office still didn't hesitate to send out multiple squad cars to stay stationed outside of the Frazer residence. Despite severe budget cuts the county is facing there were cops told to, "bring a book or a movie" to stay entertained throughout the day there were also about five instances where a helicopter was circling the house, hovering for about 10-15 minutes at a time costing the county thousands of dollars. Tomorrow we are expecting an even more blatant show of force on the side of the Dekalb County Police Department.



One of the officers camped outside Chris Frazer's home claimed that the police force was present to make sure activist campaigning to save the home weren't being violent. Since Occupy Atlanta have been working with the local community we have been nothing but helpful, organizing community meetings where neighbors can share ideas on how to create the change they want to see, facilitating clean up days, and addressing the issue of abandoned homes on Wellhaun road.


American Friends Service Committee is calling on folks to join Chris Frazer and stand against this eviction. We need folks there between 8am and 5pm, which is the time frame that an eviction can occur. Will you join us?



Video Clip of Helicopter circling Chris Frazer's home:


Facebook Event page Link


Leila Abadir
Guest Writer, Occupy Atlanta


Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

Faces Of Foreclosure

The state of Georgia ranks 4th in the nation for foreclosures at the end of last year, with 350,000 foreclosures expected this calender year. Along with many other metro Atlanta counties, DeKalb County and South Decatur have especially been hit hard by the housing bubble and crash. Ms. Christine Frazer, a 62 year old widow, along with four generations of the Frazer family is being threatened with eviction from the place they have called home since 1994. A notice was signed that ordered a writ of possession be issued on the 15th. Allowing armed marshal's to forcibly remove this family from their home of 18 yrs leaving them without a place to go.




As part of a national day of action, Occupy Atlanta along with other organizations will be gathering for a Speak Out against foreclosures to stand up for not only this family but all families in similar dire situations. We will hear their personal stories as well as them condemning the process that allows for these injustices to occur. We plan to expose those responsible for the heinous crimes that are robbing the working class people.



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee

First Community Meeting For Chris Frazers Home

About a dozen folks showed up to the first community meeting held at Occupy Atlanta's newest home occupation in South Dekalb yesterday.

The community meetings have become a staple for home occupations, bringing folks from the neighborhood together to get to know each other, discuss the things they would like to see change in the community, and make a plan to work on it.

Several big ideas were discussed, including problems with the k-12 school system, and the juvenile justice system. At the end of our first meeting we decided to start small by addressing the issue of apathy and trash. The concern was brought up that many in the community had simply checked out. Houses have been abanded for years on Wellhaun road, and trash pills up. So next Saturday at 8am we want the community to see us doing what hasn't been do in a while, cleaning stuff up!

We also decided to host a speak out against foreclosures this Thursday at 11am at The Frazer house(3662 Wellhaun Rd, Decatur) we will have several video cameras to record the stories of folks facing foreclosure/eviction and the people fighting side by side with them.

AFSC was able to pitch in and support this new occupation with some resources but they need more. Here's a short list created by folks occupying the home, will you pitch in?

tents, bedsheets (for banners), bread and jelly, folders, paper, binders, sugar, a half gallon container, cooking oil, rice, pasta

Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee