The following is courtesy of Abi Vladeck:

We see a lot of news stories about homeowners in foreclosure – people who were sucked into a predatory loan, were victims of a sudden chill in the housing market, or turn out to have been just one pink slip away from default. 

It’s easy to forget that renters are affected by this crisis, too.  In fact, in cities like Boston, more renters than homeowners are living in foreclosed properties.  

Luckily, they’re getting some help.

City Life / Vida Urbana is a tenant organizing group that’s been helping people in Boston fight for affordable housing for the last 35 years, and now has its sights on foreclosed buildings.  With the help of hundreds of volunteer student canvassers, they’ve organized a “bank tenants’ union” to help folks in foreclosed properties fight for their rights.  

Banks aren’t set up to be landlords; when they take over a building, they try to get the tenants out in order to sell it.  In Massachusetts, they can’t legally evict people in these “no fault” foreclosures, so instead they offer “cash for keys” – a token sum of money – if the tenant will leave the apartment ASAP.  But most people don’t realize that this is a negotiable offer, and assume they’re being kicked out.

City Life helps people understand their options.  Some people want to stay in their homes, and continue paying rent (to the bank – hence “bank tenants’ union”); others want to leave, but with adequate compensation for their lost security deposit, and for the expense and hassle of finding a new place.

 So far, CL / VU has helped people in dozens of properties stay in their homes; has helped others double, triple, or quadruple their initial cash-for-keys offer; and connected hundreds of people with free legal services and housing counselors. 

I think it’s fair to say that your average working class American feels pretty powerless right now.  People are working harder for less.  Healthcare (when you can get it) is getting more expensive.  We were sold dream of homeownership, and now it’s turning into a nightmare.

But organizations like City Life give people the resources to fight back.  It’s not just about telling people what their rights are, or helping them minimize their losses.  It’s about orchestrating a re-alignment in political power. 

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If you're interested in learning more about what you can do to help the fight against foreclosures, please join us for a Brown Bag Lunch with Nick Hardigan on Monday, February 2, 2009, 12-1:15, Brown House Classroom.