Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Nearly 50 protesters, including tenants who say they were being forced from their apartments because their landlords are being foreclosed, protested outside the Bank of America's branch at 1473 Broad St. Friday to demand that the bank stop evicting tenants and put a moratorium on foreclosures.

Included among the demonstrators was Jose Gonsalez, who said he and his wife and disabled daughter had already been forced out of one apartment and were told that the apartment they had moved into on Waldo Street was also facing foreclosure.

"The first time they offered me $1,000, but I never saw the money," Gonsalez told the crowd, speaking through an interpreter. "Now they want us to move again, but we don't have the money and don't have the strength to move."

The protest was organized by the Rhode Island Bank Tenant & Homeowner Association, which was formed when the foreclosure crisis began to deepen. It drew the support of such other groups as the Housing Action Coalition, the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless, Jobs with Justice and DARE, and the from state Sen. Juan Pichardo, who said homelessness in the city will increase if tenants are forced from their homes through no fault of their own.

Amid such chants as "they get bailed out, we get thrown out," the demonstrators set up a cardboard house in front of the bank to underscore the plight of those being evicted.

"They are putting out poor people. They are putting out sick people. They are putting out elderly people. They are destroying families," said Rosalina Collazo. "They have to stop it now."

Tom Judd, a member of the association and the Housing Action Coalition of Rhode Island, said the groups are pressing for passage of House bill 5933, the so-called "Just Cause" bill, which, if passed, would give tenants the legal right to continue living in bank-owned real estate provided they continue to pay their rent in good faith. He said the protesters also want the bank to re-evaluate the property values of homes with so-called "underwater mortgages" so that the mortgage payments will reflect the true value of the property.

He complained that despite a pledge by bank senior vice president William Fenton that the bank would "do its best" to help borrowers stay in their homes, the bank has not only failed to negotiate with distressed homeowners, but it has hired people to intimidate and "falsely evict" tenants. He said it also has refused to accept money from tenants who want to continue to pay their rent.

Judd said Bank of America has received $52 billion in bailout money from taxpayers, and now is evicting people from their homes. "This is not acceptable, and we need to hold them accountable," he added.

Kathy Gardiner, the manager of the Broad Street branch, had no comment on the protest, referring all questions to a bank spokesman in New Jersey, who was not immediately available.

 Tags  bank of america Rhode Island Bank Tenant & Homeowner Association

Comments

NICK THE GREEK said:

Bank of america is a joke. They practice all the little shady credit card company tricks plus im sure they invented ther own style along the way.
52 billion dollars in money down the tubes. They still dont care and they never will. Shame on them for breaking up loved ones, when this is all they have. Throwing people out on the streets to just leave the building empty anyways what a joke.
I hope obama does something about this it must stop now.

Link | May 9, 2009 12:06 PM
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