More than 100 members of Gideon’s Army for Black & Latino Homeowners came together this weekend in front of Trump Tower, 725 5th Avenue in Manhattan to lobby the Trump Administration to look at the foreclosure crisis affecting black and brown homeowners in Brooklyn.
Specifically, the activists requested Trump and the federal government to launch a federal investigation of the New York State Court System. The courts in New York are foreclosing on black and Latino homes at alarming rates through predatory lending, the Third-Party Transfer Program (TPT), and unjust rulings by Foreclosure Judges, the advocates said.
According to the U.S. Census homeownership has decreased by 50% in communities of color. People familiar with the Kings County Court system say that hundreds of properties are auctioned off every month and thousands more are facing foreclosures.
“We are American citizens and our rights are being violated. Our homes are being stolen and our families are being displaced by becoming a part of the statistic of 64,000 homeless in New York City. Enough is Enough. We are asking President Trump for help,” said James Caldwell, one of the organizers of Gideon’s Army, and the president of the 77th Police Precinct Community Council.
The other driving forces behind the rally in front of Trump tower included HomeOwner Advocacy Group President Karen Greenwood and Foreclosure Revolution Cooperative Society President Jawan Bey.
The group charge that the unconscionable fraudulent foreclosures continue to go on unabated even after the disclosures of the big bank, mortgage loan services and foreclosure mill attorneys have been outed by the Congressional Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report of 2010.
“As a result of that congressional report, there is literally no good reason for homeowners to be dispossessed of their homes when the government is fully aware of the fraudulent unfair business practices that the financial industry has wrought upon the American people. It is our collective opinion that President Trump should initiate a federal investigation of every state’s judicial foreclosure docket, because the judges of every state have been enabling the fraud and violation of homeowners’ rights without restriction or impartiality through court adjudications,” Greenwood, Bey and Caldwell said in a joint statement.
Caldwell, Greenwood and Bey said they are committed to bringing attention to this issue and are determined and dedicated to compel the elected officials and those seeking elective office to make this issue a part of the coming election cycle that the candidates who are soliciting their membership’s support or vote to take an interest and uncompromising position on.
“We feel there needs to be a federal investigation into the New York Court system regarding how the black and Latino community are losing their homes and the unjust decisions by the local judges. We feel we are not getting enough help from our local politicians in standing up for the black and Latino communities,” said Caldwell.
