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The problems around foreclosure are overwhelming to many Cleveland residents, for which the daily realities of foreclosure can't be avoided.
Yet, many resident-led groups are taking action on this issue, transforming adversity into a new vision for their community. |
- Groups of residents have been working to reach out to their neighbors in danger of foreclosure to connect them to needed assistance to save their homes.
- A block club painted boards on abandoned houses, cleaned up their street, and made a community garden out of what once was a vacant lot.
- A resident-led arts organization fixed up vacant storefronts by hanging paintings and making murals.
- A small group of residents from one neighborhood conducted research on house flipping and predatory lending that led to a detailed report on mortgage fraud. The report helped the community better understand this issue and has led to numerous indictments of predatory lenders.
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1. Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People (ESOP), is a community organizing group that is currently working in several Cleveland neighborhoods reaching out to residents who are in danger of going into foreclosure. They work with local residents to reach out to their neighbors in danger of foreclosure to provide assistance so people can stay in their homes.
Most people in danger of losing their homes are fearful of strangers knocking on their door. They've been scammed by predatory lenders, have heard about horror stories in the news, and rightfully wary of strangers offering assistance. But when residents reach out to their neighbors, and the person answering the door sees a familiar face or someone from an organization they know, they are much more likely to share their story and seek help. ESOP, working with local residents and nonprofits, has had much success using this approach in several Cleveland neighborhoods.
If you are interested in doing similar work in your neighborhood, ESOP organizers will meet with you and your group or organization to prepare you to do this type of outreach. This training is available to you and your neighbors, block clubs, neighborhood associations, and non-profits. If you are interested in this training and assistance to stop foreclosures on your street, call Jimmy Rudyk at ESOP at 216.361.0718 or email him at jimmy@esop-cleveland.org. There's no cost for the training.
2. Get a copy of the Neighborhood Connections Foreclosure Toolkit. This booklet, set to be released September 1st, is a user friendly resource that provides information on the foreclosure epidemic and lists things you and your neighbors can do to deal with foreclosures in your neighborhood. Call 216.393.4642 to order a copy or email us at neighborhoodconnections@clevefdn.org to order one. |
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