With home foreclosures reaching all time highs, unemployment rates skyrocketing and millions of Americans struggling every day to make ends meet, a handful of groups across the country are breaking the law to help families put roofs over their heads. Advocacy groups like the Miami based Take Back the Land, Kensington Welfare Rights Union in Philadelphia and Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign in Minnesota have moved dozens of homeless families into vacant foreclosed houses over the last several months.
As reported in the New York Times, CNN and on Fox News these organizations set themselves apart from unorganized bands of squatters in that they oftentimes screen their "clients" for mental illness and drug dependency, and require them to pay all utilities and keep up with housecleaning and maintenance.
Once a family passes the screening process the group will help them move into the foreclosed house, set up utilities, change the locks while absorbing most of the initial expenses. Though removing squatters used to be a top priority for local law enforcement, it is being reported that sheriffs are often turning their heads or just too busy to patrol with the huge rise in foreclosures.
To evict someone from a foreclosed house law enforcement needs to have a signed affidavit from the owner of the property - usually a bank. With the economy as bad as it is and the market flooded with vacant homes, a family may live under these conditions for close to a year before any one takes notice.
What do you think of the organizations that are illegally placing homeless people into vacant homes?
Should law enforcement officials simply look the other way when squatters take up residence in a foreclosed home?
i am still trying to comprehend what i've just read. so basically they're helping homeless people steal homes- pretty much what it amounts to right? that is absolutely ludicrous..
momagarry::
on Oct 03, 2009
This is a wonderful idea.
iritsoutherngirl::
on Oct 15, 2009
I'm very much for helping people when they need help. But I don't agree with breaking laws in order to help them. Any person or organization that sets out to help others should find legal ways to do so.
farmerbrown2002::
on Nov 02, 2009
How about helping the people who lost it?I think the homeless need help but not like this.Do it legal,set up places for them.Help the home owners,who knows they might be homeless also.Be a shame to see a family lose their home and be on the street just to see another homeless person in it...
mcgarvey32::
on Jun 25, 2010
There is a right way and a wrong way for doing everyting. Although they feel what they are doing is morally right, it is illegal. So many good families are losing everything due to the economic situation. They should not lose their home and be tossed into the streets or forcedto live with friends/ relatives while a squatter moves into their home. The government should already have set something up to help tose who lose their homes or at the very minimum, put things into place to assist them with finding something else. But no one under any circumstance should be ing their heads" to allow others to live in someone's foreclosed home. Apply for the house and do the right thing.
Supernovae::
on Aug 27, 2010
It's a great idea.
For families in trouble: make a note that you can do what these people did often times and stay in your home 6-12 months after foreclosure because banks are so backed up with paperwork.
queendoreen::
on Sep 18, 2010
They really don't have to do things that aren't legal, their are so many programs out there, for supoorted housing, for people with low or no income coming in. They can also turn these houses into section 8 housing and let the owners of the house apply for the help. Your putting one family out in the streets, and taking another family that is homeless and giving them housing, how does that make sense. With the way things are today, and all of the people that are losing their homes, the banks should work out some type of agreement, and give them the chance to save themselves from becoming homeless.
