On January 16th, Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Occupy Whittier, Occupy Pico Rivera, and Whittier’s Peace and Justice Coalition “occupied” the foreclosed home of long time Whittier resident Mrs Virginia Hoskings.  After a job loss, a disabling injury and her husband’s unexpected death about 18 months ago, Hoskings received a life-changing notice from Bank of America: they were officially foreclosing on her home of over thirty years.

Direct negotiations with the bank failed. A call from Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s office revealed they had been working with owner Wilson Hoskings for the last 12 months to amend payments.  This came as a surprise to Hoskings, as her husband had passed 16 months prior. With more than 50 people in attendance, as many signatures on a petition addressed to BofA and some coverage from local press outlets our voices were heard. A CALL came to renegotiate the terms of her home finances; unfortunately, this was too little too late as she had made other arrangements.

As one of the Occupy Whittier organizer’s Pat Baird declared “Congresswoman Linda Sanchez’s office couldnt get Bank of America to renegotiate with our neighbor....But we- locals activists and occupiers, political veterans and newbies- DID!!.... just by congregating on a front lawn to display our discontent with this mortgage crisis... People Power!!”

Further calls from neighbors revealed 2 other foreclosures in the area. This mortgage crisis is in every county in the United States.

For further information or to get involved please contact: occupywhittier@gmail.com 

To take part in the discussion, find us on social media sites: 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/338846539472171/

Twitter: @OccupyWhittier