Housing justice has taken up a lot of my time in recent years. These photos are from my work as a housing activist, and include bits of stories about some very brave people.
Barbara Horton was a housing warrior. She marched. She joined protests, and spoke to city officials. She traveled to Washington to join a housing march, and spoke to the head of the FHA. She attended workshops and conventions, and was interviewed on radio talk shows; all to save her house, and help others who were also losing theirs. This began when her partner and father of her son died, and the bank decided to foreclose on her home because her name was not on the home's deed or mortgage. Unfortunately, after a long battle, she was evicted in a dramatic show of force.
One of the movers brought her a tin with her father-in-law's ashes. However, her husband's ashes were not found.
Here's where they brought all of Barbara's belongings. Three garages were stuffed, with no attention to content.
They were unable to find any of her clothes, which were at the back of one of the garages. Six months later, she still hadn't found her husband's ashes.
Nate moved to Philadelphia to stay with relatives. Barbara moved to her sister's house where she slept sitting up in a chair.
Mary (with friend, Don) and Lee Windom-Bey fought the City of Rochester to get their home back. And won.
Landlocked vehicle that sat in the Windom-Bey backyard from 1994 to 2012 after their next-door neighbor erected a fence, and the City of Rochester would not help settle the dispute. Instead they served housing violations that eventually reached $30,000.
Relatives and friends hang out on Mary and Lee Windom-Bey's front porch while supporters of Take Back the Land Rochester gather on the front lawn to greet press and police on the day of a court ordered eviction. After an appeal to the mayor, the eviction was temporarily called off.
Joe W., his brother and a friend on an "eviction watch" at Joe's house. After being evicted, friends helped Joe re-occupy his home. and he was able to stay there for another year or so before he was evicted one last time. He lived on a main street and knew many who walked by. His next door neighbors called him Uncle Joe.
This is an upstairs bedroom in Joe Wood's house. While capable of making repairs on his own, he was reluctant to do so while his owner status was being challenged.
Activists and supporters of Amtrak homeless encampment calling the president of Amtrak on the day the encampment was to be removed by the police.
Supporter outside Convention Center Parking Garage where the homeless were being removed from the heated facility.
The Convention Center's parking garage was given a new door that could be locked to keep homeless out at night. Protesters stand outside while a group of activists are locked inside to protest the removal of the homeless sleeping there.
The first Sanctuary Village before it was carried one tent at a time to a new location under the Susan B Anthony-Frederick Douglas Bridge.
Moving the Sanctuary Village homeless encampment from Washington Square Park to under the Susan B Anthony-Frederick Douglas Bridge.
Single dad, Joe M., and his sons who fought to stay in their rental house until the lease ended. They won. and were able to stay through the school year before moving to a new place.
Elizabeth McGriff waits for an auctioneer to sell her foreclosed home. MidFirst Bank, the mortgage holder, bids $500. She bids $600. The bank then bids $123,000. End of auction. Elizabeth had originally bought the house for $56,500. At the time of the auction, it was assessed at $73,000. The bank offered to sell her the house back for $130,000.
Over the next year and a half, Liz was warned on a number of occasions that the police would be showing up to evict. Every time, Take Back the Land supported her by orchestrating eviction defenses which included rallies, blockades and eviction watches. When the house was guarded, the police stayed away. Meanwhile, the media told Liz's story and spread bad publicity about MidFirst Bank.
And then the police arrived with a U-Haul, surrounded the house with crime tape, and Liz was evicted. Two home defenders were also arrested.
Some weeks after Liz was evicted, her friends helped her move back in, breaking the lock on the front and side doors.
MidFirst Bank hired building management companies to remove Liz again. Each time she was removed, she moved back in.
On the week that Liz was told that, once again, the police would be coming to evict, we changed our tactics. Everyday, we invited heads of different faith communities to hold a service on Liz's front yard. Among them were two Catholic masses, and a gospel service led by Liz's sister. A number of political candidates came to speak, since it was close to September primary day. Once again, the media joined in.