Grace Alexander has built her career taking care of people, sometimes working 2 or 3 jobs in the process. A native of Guyana, she migrated to the US and worked hard to live the American Dream, purchasing her home in Newark when the housing boom was taking off in the year 2000. After the bubble burst in 2009, Ms. Alexander sought to refinance and since then has tried several times unsuccessfully to get her lender – Countrywide/Bank of America – to do a modification. The situation grew more urgent after she lost her 2nd job last year and has been unable to find another.
The list of who she has spoken to for help navigating through the complicated banking system is long, ranging from city hall to local non-profits, but no tangible results have emerged. The foreclosure notice came from B of A in June this year and Ms. Alexander, having exhausted her resources, has now left the mortgage in God’s hands.
But that doesn’t mean she’s given up the fight for her home. She’s speaking out and taking action to build a movement against a system which favors corporate profit over healthy communities. Ms. Alexander’s determination, combined with her faith in God, is what keeps her going. It might be surprising to hear that Ms. Alexander says prayers for her bank, citing scripture as her guide: “The lord says bless those who spitefully use and abuse you.” That’s just what Ms. Alexander does. She finds confidence knowing she has not been given a spirit of fear, but one of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Grace Alexander is not afraid. To Bank of America she would like to say: “Have a heart – be human for Pete’s sake! Work with your customers and do the right thing.
Grace Alexander – a member of the New Jersey Home Defender’s League – stands with thousands of other families across the country who are demanding accountability from our elected lawmakers whose lax regulations have enabled big banks like Bank of America to profit off of struggling homeowners.