Reclaiming Our Homes, Reclaiming Our Future!

One year ago today the Occupy Our Homes movement launched, signaling a fundamental shift in how homeowners responded to banks trying to take their homes.

As the new housing justice movement enters it's second year, with scores of homes saved and dozens of ongoing fights happening as you read this, Occupy Our Homes is celebrating the courage of every individual and family in housing crisis who has stood up and told the banks, “I’m not leaving.” 

American Friends Service Committee has been there every step of the way, exploring ways to provide resources and capacity to help Occupy Our Homes Atlanta build real power in some of the hardest hit communities. 

Last year on December 6th Atlantans severely disrupted three foreclosure auctions and began two home occupations.

This year Occupy Our Homes Atlanta recalled the actions of last year and pushed the envelope with bold creative actions.

The day started with a victory press conference we will be holding a press conference to announce the victory of the Pittman family. One year after they started their fight which brought together hundreds across the city, shut down multiple Chase Bank branches on multiple occasions, and included numerous acts of civil disobedience, the Pittman's have now wrested control of their home from Chase, just in time for the holidays. They faced eviction as recently as two weeks ago, now the home will be safe for generations to come. 

Directly after the press conference a group of us piled into a bus and paid a visist to Bank of America for a flash demonstration in solidarity with JoSelf Freeman, who's facing eviction.

Later in the day, people will gathered in Pittman Park to march to a vacant bank owned home and liberate it. A same sex couple, Michelene Meusa and Reneka Wheeler, that has spent months bouncing between shelters with their two children will be enforcing their moral right to housing by moving into and repairing a vacant one in a neighborhood where more homes sit empty than occupied. This is an act of civil disobedience that has support from surrounding residents, churches, and community leaders.

Banks and other financial institutions have wrongly foreclosed and evicted millions and millions of people from their homes after crashing our economy, neighborhoods in South Atlanta have been the hardest hit. For every homeless person in Atlanta there are seven empty homes, we believe that's a crime.

Today on this December 6th, housing justice actions have taken place around the country as part of Occupy Our Homes' second anniversary day of action. From Minneapolis to Atlanta, Baltimore to Los Angeles, Denver to San Francisco and in cities and towns large and small, communities are committing to reclaiming our homes and our futures from the grips of Wall Street greed. People around the country are standing up and saying:

“I’m not leaving because this is my home, not the bank’s.”

“I’m not leaving because Wall Street broke the economy, not me.”

“I’m not leaving because the bank can’t prove they have a right to foreclose.”

“I’m not leaving because housing is a human right.”

Please take the time to sign and share Reneka and Michelene's online petition.

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Committee

Carmen Pittman is Honored At Graduation Ceremony

Today, after a lot of hard work, Carmen Pittman  received her diploma from BaSix Knowledge Academy. Several activists who have been fighting alongside Carmen joined her family for the ceremony at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Decatur, Ga.

While we were all very proud of Carmen's accomplishment none of us, including Carmen, knew that she was to be honored for advocacy in the community. Over the course of the last six months Carmen has not only become a spokesperson for her families struggle against Chase Bank, she's become a spokes person for for thousands of people facing foreclosures and evictions in the Atlanta area.

It was just six months ago that Occupy Atlanta responded to the crisis facing the Pittman family. They had not only lost their beloved Mother and Grandmother, Eloise Pittman, they found out the Chase Bank was planning on evicting the family as well. Prior to Occupy Atlanta's involvement with her families struggle, Carmen had never thought of herself as an activist or an organizer. That all changed in the weeks and months to follow.

From day one Carmen expressed a desire to learn about the connections between the systems of violence oppression that control our economic system. Carmen has embodied the concept that Occupy Atlanta's home defense work has tried to lift up; that we don't fight for folks, we fight with them.

Carmen has come a long way from sitting in on strategy meetings and attending actions. She now calls for meetings, and plays a key role in planning every aspect of the campaign to save her home. More recently Carmen has also worked with other families who are standing up to the banks.

Today Carmen was awarded the Myra Jackson Pioneer Award for her outstanding activism in the community! Congratulations Carmen Pittman!

AFSC's Georgia Peace and Conflict Resolution Program has been proud to committ resources towards the campaign to stop Chase Bank from evicting the Pittman family and we're excited to see a new much need leader in Carmen Pittman!

Tim Franzen

American Friends Service Committee

The Pittmans to Regulate Chase Bank

Like many families across the nation, the late Ms. Eloise Pittman was a victim of one of the worse cases of predatory lending. The Pittman family has been fighting to save the family home since November 2011. This house for thisfamily is more than a building that gives shelter. It is a home that has been passed down generations since the 1950’s.

This past week we have finally been able to get Chase bank to negotiate with they family. The options they have laid out are terrible. They either want the family to leave or pay over $400,000 for a property that's worth around $100,000. Their options are not acceptable.

When Chase bank needed a bail out they got one to the tune of billions at practically zero percent interest. We will not continue to allow big banks, like Chase, to continue to make profit off the backs of those that they refuse to assist.

Occupy Atlanta begun an encampment at the Pittman home on December 6th, and has had a 24 hour presence since. With the news the Chase Bank is unwilling to work with the Family Occupy Atlanta and community partners plan to March on the Bank this Friday(1/27/12). The plan is to meet at the Pittman(404 Glen Iris, Atlanta) at 3pm and March to Chase bank to demand the deed to the house. Carmen and Valerie Pittman made the annoucement that they planned to fight the bank for their home at a press conference in front of a Chase Bank branch earlier today

American Friends Service Committee Stands with the Pittman family as it is our belief housing is a human right.



Tim Franzen
American Friends Service Committee