Speakers:

Grace Ross – Former Green Party gubernatorial candidate, now challenging Gov. Patrick in the Democratic Party Primary. Currently staffer for the Massachusetts Alliance Against Predatory Lending (MAAPL), and author of the forthcoming book, Main Street Smarts: who got us into this economic mess and how we get through it...

Melonie Griffiths – Tenant and Economy Project Organizer for City Life-Vida Urbana, the Jamaica Plain-based social justice organization which has been organizing community members to resist evictions and save their homes.

Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) – Co-sponsor SB1609, of one of the MAAPL-supported bills, which would protect tenants from eviction in fore-closed properties.

Description

We are facing a crisis of housing foreclosures in Massachusetts. In November of ‘09 alone, there were 76% more foreclosures than in the same month a year ago. This wave of foreclosures is decimating whole communities, leaving buildings empty and people without homes.

Big banks get bailed out, but our government has done little to help working people tricked into bad loans, who are now losing their homes to foreclosure. Is this fair?

Our forum will look at the way the greedy and unethical actions of the big financial institutions help caused the global economic crisis, of which the foreclosure crisis is only a part. We will learn about efforts to pass legislation to help people facing foreclosure, as well as the way people are organizing in their communities to help themselves. And we will learn what we can do to help!

Sponsored by Boston Democratic Socialists of America
P.O. Box 51356, Boston MA 02205 (617) 354-5078
Visit Boston DSA on the web @ www.dsaboston.org
For directions to 33 Harrison 5th floor, visit www.encuentro5.org

Location