Supporters join Mark Harris at Fannie Mae to demand justice

Mark Harris, an Occupy Our Homes Atlanta member who has been fighting Fannie Mae for his home since last fall, was joined today outside their regional headquarters by dozens of supporters, and community members, including American Friends Service Committee, Atlanta Jobs With Justice, Teamsters Local 728, and the SCLC.
Mark, a Desert Storm veteran, had his home foreclosed on back in October while he was still attempting to work out a solution with his servicer. Since then, Mark has traveled to DC to meet with Fannie Mae executives, and collected over 9,000 signatures on a petition created on Start2.occupyourhomes.org. Despite this, Fannie Mae has refused to keep their word and negotiate in good faith, and are attempting to move forward with an eviction.

At the action, activists built a mock house, representing the thousands of homes across the country that Fannie Mae has taken from communities. Once the house was built, the group joined in a prayer, followed by veterans speaking out against the injustices they face  when returning home after serving their country in the military.

The coalition used the opportunity to do an eviction defense training around the house that was built, sending a message to Fannie Mae that Mark’s home would not be easily taken from him. The group then lined up behind Mark as he peacefully attempted to deliver his petition signatures to Fannie Mae. The building’s security guards wouldn’t let him through the entrance however, but agreed to make sure the signatures were received by Fannie Mae.

Mark was joined by several home defenders, some who had previously fought and won their homes back from the bank, as well as others who are still in the process of fighting along with him. Today’s action was also part of the launch of the national ‘Homes For All‘ campaign, led by the Right to the City Alliance, which is joining together homeowners, renters, homeless, and public housing residents to fight for action on housing, and further the movement to establish housing as a human right for all.

View more photos from the action below:

Bold Action to Stop Fannie Mae From Evicting Mark Harris Tomorrow

American Friends Service Committee, Occupy Our Homes, Jobs with Justice, Right to the City, Georgia Veterans and Teamsters Local 728 Team up to Stop Fannie Mae from Evicting Desert Storm Veteran Mark Harris

                

 Wednesday March 13^th from 1:00-3pm at Fannie Mae’s SE Regional Office(950 E Paces Ferry Rd, Atlanta) Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and allies plan to creatively protest Fannie Mae’s decision to move forward with the eviction of Desert Storm Veteran Mark Harris. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  “We plan to build a mock home in front of Fannie Mae’s HQ to represent the millions of homes Fannie Mae has foreclosed and left empty in our Country. We need solutions, not evictions and foreclosures” said Occupy Homes Organizer Shab Bashiri.

Mark Harris recently took his struggle all the way to DC, where he met with high level Fannie Mae executives who promised to look at creative solutions to keep Mark from becoming another homeless veteran. Since then Fannie Mae has made no real effort to create a deal that keeps Mark in his home, it’s clear that they intend to move forward with eviction, even though Mark has made reasonable offers on the house.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  “This marks a critical turning point where worker organizations are taking a stand against the greed of Fannie Mae.” Said Jobs With Justice organizer Roger Sikes.                                 

                                                                                                                                                                   “ We understand the leading causes of foreclosure are unemployment, and underemployment. We need full and fair employment for our community members and we will to fight to keep workers in their homes. Unions stand with workers inside and outside the workplace.” Said Teamster Organizer Ben Speight.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Mark will be joined by a number of veterans who plan to speak in Support of Mark’s struggle against Fannie Mae. 1/3 of Atlanta's homeless population are veterans, and for every one of them there are six empty homes, many of which are owned by Fannie Mae.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               "Fannie Mae wants to kick Mark Harris out of his home and then for an investor, or someone else, reset the mortgage fairly to the current home value.  This is an outrage.  And this is why we are organizing Fannie Mae residents nationally to demand principal reduction,"  Rachel LaForest, Homes For All campaign.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  During the demonstration Mark Harris plans to deliver a petition that 9k people across the country have sign in support of his struggle.

“As a veteran, I thought the toughest battles were behind me. I never thought I’d be struggling to keep a roof over my head. I fought for this country, so I know I have a right to fight for my home!” States Mark Harris. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This action, one of 11 around the country, is part of the launch for the Homes For All campaign uniting homeowners, renters, public housing residents and those who are homeless to fight for affordable and secure homes.                                                                                                                                                              

More on Mark’s story: 

Disabled Desert Storm Vet Faces Eviction, Can You Help Stop It?

Dear Friends,

                              Today disabled Desert Storm veteran and 20 year Teamster Mark Harris is in a courtroom getting his final eviction date set. His eviction date will likely be set for November 15th!

          Can you take a few moments today to help Mark keep a roof over his head? Your call could make all the difference!

       Call and/or email:
 Catherine "Candy" Lasher at 404-398-6901 catherine_lasher@fanniemae.com 

 Andrew Wilson at 202-752-5168 Andrew_j_wilson@fanniemae.com . 

Demand that they halt the eviction of Disabled Desert Storm veteran Mark Harris at 1164 Dunwick Drive, Avondale Estates, Georgia. Negotiate a deal that keeps Mark in the home. Georgia doesn't need another empty house, Georgia doesn't need another homeless veteran.

Oh, and please sign the online petition! We're hoping you could forward it out to your friends:)

http://start2.occupyourhomes.org/petitions/disable-desert-storm-veteran-needs-help-to-save-his-home

__,_._,___

A personal Message From Mark:

I have worked hard and tried to do the right thing my whole life. I joined the Army in 1982 just out of High School, and served a year in Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm. After transitioning from active duty I got a job with UPS and was proud to join Teamsters Local 728. I purchased my home in 1996 with a VA backed home loan and refinanced it in 2004.

In 2005 I started my own trucking business, and then the economy crashed. I got illnesses related to my time in Desert Storm, and I fell behind on my mortgage.
I’ve been trying to catch up ever since; recently I’ve applied for the HomeSafe program here in Georgia. While my application was being processed my VA benefits kicked in, which meant I could afford to make my payments.

Sadly, as my finances were finally coming together in October 2012, Green Tree Mortgage Servicing foreclosed on my home on behalf of Fannie Mae, despite the fact that I was doing everything I could to catch up and modify my loan.

Fannie Mae auctioned off my home, knowing that HomeSafe was working with me. Now that I am receiving my service connected disability compensation I can make my monthly payments but Fannie Mae wants me out now. All they're willing to offer me is $1500 cash for keys to get out. 

In looking over my assignment documents I’ve also discovered that some of the country’s most famous robo signers signed the mortgage assignment that was used to foreclose on me.
 

Fannie Mae is aggressively moving forward with an eviction, and it could happen as soon as November 15th. As a veteran, I thought the toughest battles were behind me. I never thought I’d be struggling to keep a roof over my head. I fought for this country, so I know I have a right to fight for my home!

Desert Storm Veteran Faces Eviction, Refuses to Leave

Yesterday Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, Atlanta Jobs with Justice, Teamsters Local 728, AFSC, and other supporters filled Mark Harris yard with a simple message to Fannie Mae, "We are not leaving, make a deal that keeps Mark in this house."  

Desert Storm veteran and retired UPS worker Mark Harris purchased his home in 1996 with a VA backed home loan and refinanced it in 2004.

In 2005 he started a trucking business, and then the economy crashed. His illnesses related to his service  in Desert Storm became an issue, and he fell behind on his mortgage.

He’s been trying to catch up ever since; recently he applied for the HomeSafe program here in Georgia. While his application was being processed his VA benefits kicked in, which meant he could afford to make my payments. Greentree(loan servicer) and Fannie Mae(Loan owner) decided to foreclose despite Mark’s willingness and ability to pay.

Occupy Our Homes Atlanta looked over the assignment documents and discovered that some of the country’s most famous robo signers signed the mortgage assignment that was used to foreclose on Mark.

Mark was a proud active member of the Teamsters Local 728 for over 20 years. When Mark fell on hard times he reached out to his union brothers, and they responded.

Both Occupy Our Homes Atlanta and Teamsters Local 728 are members of Atlanta Jobs With Justice, who has agreed to take on Mark's struggle understanding the relationship between housing justice and labor issues, “Unemployment is the number one contributor to foreclosures and evictions in Georgia.  We need solutions that keep people like Mark in their homes, with access to good jobs, instead of putting more folks out of good jobs and their homes.” Said Atlanta JWJ organize Roger Sikes.

Fannie Mae is aggressively moving forward with an eviction, and it could happen as soon as November 15th. Mark Harris states, “As a veteran, I thought the toughest battles were behind me. "I never thought I’d be struggling to keep a roof over my head. I fought for this country, so I know I have a right to fight for my home!”


At AFSC we believe that housing is a human right, and here in Atlanta there are more vacant homes then there are homeless people by 7 to 1. The word homeless and veteran should never be in the same sentence, yet anyone who works with the homeless population knows that veterans make by far the largest block of the homeless population.


We urge Fannie Mae to do the right thing and keep Mark in the house, we know his community doesn't ned another empty house, and the streets of Atlanta don't need another homeless veteran.


AFSC Plans to join other community members next Wednesday in direct action to support Mark Harris at Fannie Mae's South Eastern headquarters. We encourage folks to join us.



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee