Rogers Park Community House Organizing to Fight Back as Bailed-out Bank, Fannie Mae, Prepares to Evict
Comite 10 de Marzo
Press Release
For Immediate Release: Contact: Chicago Anti-Eviction Campaign
Sunday, August 15th, 2010 773-954-3614
Rogers Park Community House Organizing to Fight Back as Bailed-out Bank, Fannie Mae, Prepares to Evict
The Ortiz family is working with community groups and supporters, strategizing how they will defend their community house from eviction by the bank. Garnering the support of Ald Joe Moore and Jorge Mujica, the Ortiz family is still trying to negotiate with Fannie Mae, in the hope that the house can continue to function as it was meant to, providing education, jobs, and support to the community.
In 2008 the Ortiz family purchased the house located at 7463 N Ridge Blvd, in order to create a licensed day care and a place for much needed youth programs and community meeting space. Thousands of hours of work from volunteers and workers from the Latino Union turned this badly damaged property into an asset to the neighborhood. Now Fannie Mae, after refusing to modify the loan, (based on the same financial information on which the mortgage was made), has foreclosed on the family and is taking them to court in order to evict them.
“My mother cried when she heard the news, but I told her, ‘we’re not leaving’” says Jorge Ortiz
The Ortiz family and their supporters are holding a press conference and tour of the house this Tuesday, and are calling on supporters to join them in court that afternoon, as they ask the Judge not to evict, but to require that the bank negotiate with them in good faith. Their hope is that this community project can be fully realized, while their neighbors hope that another house will not sit empty on their street.
What: Press Conference and Solidarity Court Action
When: Tuesday, August 17th, 11am
Where: 7463 N Ridge Blvd, Chicago
For more information, contact Jorge Ortiz, 773-954-3614, jor...@gmail.com
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Jorge Mujica