Grace Alexander, a 57-year-old New Jersey grandmother and member of 1199 SEIU, enlisted the support of influential elected leaders and community advocates in her fight to save her home from foreclosure. On January 24th a large delegation of supporters attempted to meet with Bank of America representatives to find answers for Grace. Instead of meeting with the delgation, Bank of America locked their doors!
“They’ve been giving me the run around for two years now,” said Grace, a Newark resident. “I have a job. I can pay a mortgage. But they don’t want my money, they want my house. I’ve tried every which way to save my home, but Bank of America would rather kick me onto the streets than to work with me.”
“The banks are incentivized to foreclose on homes,“ said Trina Scordo, executive director of New Jersey Communities United, an affiliate of the Home Defenders League, a national network of activists fighting against foreclosures and for a just resolution to the mortgage crisis. “Taxpayer money is being used to take homes away from families and not for principal write-downs which would keep families in their homes. We have the second highest rate of foreclosure in the country and more than 100,000 families who share Grace’s experience. It’s time for the banks to be held accountable.”
"1199 stands strong with Grace Alexander as she fights to stay in her home and continue to be a vital member of the Newark community," said Milly Silva, 1199 SEIU Executive Vice President. "Unfortunately, Grace is a prime example of the people forgotten in Chris Christie's New Jersey. We will continue to fight to ensure Grace and the thousands like her have their voices heard."