“Happy Holidays, Now Get the Hell Out”: Stop San Francisco Ellis Act Evictions!

IMG_2103_1Organizers from the Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco, San Francisco Tenants Union, Senior & Disability Action, AIDS Housing Alliance, Causa Justa::Just Cause, Chinatown Community Development Center, Occupy Bernal, Occupy Action Council SF, and other supporters gathered at 12:00 noon on December 19, 2012, to protest a rash of Ellis Act evictions of tenants living in San Francisco. A number of tenants spoke to the crowd in front of the Christmas tree on Castro Street near 18th Street, explaining how they are facing eviction in neighborhoods all over San Francisco when property owners use the Ellis Act to take the property off the rental market as an excuse for evicting them from their homes, including some who are seniors, disabled, living with AIDS, and/or have lived in their homes for decades. Representatives of various organizations spoke and the crowd chanted, displaying protest signs and banners.

Media Coverage: SF Chronicle

Thanks to Peter Menchini for first video below:

Oakland and San Francisco Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters Stand Up to Slumlord Fannie Mae

On Thursday, September 13, 2012, Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters — both tenants and homeowners — and supporters from the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) and Occupy Bernal stood up to Fannie Mae, their slumlord bank, by visiting Fannie Mae’s offices at 50 California Street in San Francisco, California.

Carlos Martinez and his neighbors are fighting to hold Fannie Mae, which owns their home, accountable for deplorable and inhumane conditions at one of their properties in East Oakland. The sinks in their homes flow into buckets that they have to empty themselves! Despite the despicable living conditions, the mortgage giant slumlord is unjustly demanding the tenants pay nearly double in rent.

Betty Davis and Alfred Richardson are homeowners demanding the right to a fair deal loan modification to remain in their San Francisco homes.

Fannie Mae must treat tenants, homeowners, and communities fairly and be held accountable for their actions! We left bottles of waste water from the building they own to show them what their tenants have have to deal with.

June 1 at the Auctions

On June 1, 2012, an auctioneer must have lied to the protestors and went ahead with the sale of a multi-unit apartment building in San Francisco (none went to investors and 311 Lincoln Way went to the bank), instead of just auctioning off the commercial property we had agreed not to protest.

Video in English (thanks to Peter Menchini):

A large number of folks turned out to stop the auction of the home of Bernal neighbor Alberto del Rio and his family. Fortunately, his family managed to file bankruptcy in time to postpone the auction of his home until July 6, 2012.

The protestors unfurled large banners and many people driving by on Van Ness Ave. honked their horns in support. In addition, the protestors yelled “Shame” and held up mirrors with messages such as “Evicting People From Their Homes is Not Just a Job” toward the investors and auctioneers.

Many Foreclosure and Eviction Fighters (FEFs) spoke on the people’s mic and told their stories to the large crowd assembled in front of City Hall, who demanded an end to residential foreclosures and passage of the California Homeowner Bill of Rights. Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle of Occupy Bernal presented Good Neighbor Awards to FEFs such as Archbishop Franzo King.

Thanks to everyone who helped out!

Video en espanol: Indignados protestan frente alcaldía para impedir embargo de vecino

Videos in English (thanks to Carol Harvey):

More videos in English:

Thanks to Peg Hunter for the before-the-next-to-last 54 photos, to Peter Menchini for the nexc-to-last 25 photos, to Grace Martinez of ACCE for the last 5 photos.

Flyers and Posters

A variety of Occupy the Auctions / Evictions flyers and posters are available, in various colors and sizes. Not all flyers and posters are available in all sizes and colors. If you have a request for another size or color, or if you have a flyer or poster to add to this page, please let us know.

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PDF, “Become a Foreclosure Fighter or Home Defender”, english/español, 4 per sheet, two-sided