Max Rameau in Madison

The Occupy-Madison homeless encampment located at 800 East Washington Ave. is going to end April 30th at 12 noon.  The 70-80 people living there will be forced to return to the streets, parks, or underpasses UNLESS WE STAND UP.  This community which has formed over the past 7 months has provided mutual support for the people living there with minimal City services over the past 7 months in a way that the City’s social services programs have not been able to do.  The City administration(Mayor Soglin) has refused to allow this community to reside on any City owned property.

Please come to a march beginning at Occupy Madison at 12:00 noon on Monday April 30th and ending with a rally at the City-County Building on Martin Luther King Blvd. beginning at 1:00.  We need to send the message that Occupy Madison needs to continue as a home for many homeless people.  We won’t go away!

Housing is a Human Right Zone

Make your neighborhood beautiful day, and creating a Housing is a Human Right Zone. Talked with neighbors next to a liberated home asking them to put housing is a human right zone posters in their front windows to show their support for homeless people and people facing foreclosures. (Operation Welcome Home, Take Back the Land Madison and Coalition on Homelessness and Foreclosures)

Don’t Be Bad for America: Give Back our Homes!

Take Back the Land-Madison and Occupy Madison participated in the national Spring Action and the National Day of Action against Bank of America on March 15th.  Here is a short video of the action followed by our statement to Bank of America and Merrill Lynch and media coverage.

 

 

TBL Bank of America action short video clip

Grass Roots: Activists protest lenders’ foreclosure practices Capital Times Article

WORT-FM   In Our Backyard Nightly News WORT-FM interview.  Our segment starts at 5 minutes into the program.

To: Bank of America and Merrill Lynch

From: Take Back the Land-Madison and Coalition on Homelessness and Foreclosures

We know that Bank of America was given $25 Billion Dollars in tax payer money to buy Merrill Lynch. We know that Merrill Lynch had collapsed as a stand alone financial institution and we think that Bank of America is headed in the same direction. We know that Bank of America and it’s associate lenders have committed fraud and forgery to steal people’s homes from them, making more people homeless. We know that Bank of America and it’s lenders have practiced predatory lending in low income communities and communities of color. We know that Bank of America paid $0 in federal taxes in 2010 and continues to evade paying their fair share of taxes. Because of this we think that Bank of America is acting in a way that is Bad for America. We demand that Bank of America be held accountable for its actions, pay its fair share and give back to the community. We demand that Bank of America put an immediate Moratorium on Foreclosures of all of their properties. We demand Bank of America provide affordable community owned housing to address the homeless and economic crisis they are partially responsible for.

Take Back the Land-Madison has liberated a home owned by Bank of America. It has served as affordable transitional housing for the past 7 months for multiple homeless individuals and families. We want Bank of America to pay its fair share and turn this house over to the Madison Area Community Land Trust so it can remain as affordable housing. This is a step in the right direction to make up for its high number of foreclosures and fraud, predatory lending, and tax evasion. It is a chance for Bank of America to be a leader in addressing the housing and economic crisis.

Take Back the Land-Madison is also supporting a homeowner, Tina Osuocha, to stay in her home that is at risk of being foreclosed on by Bank of America. We want Tina to be allowed to stay in her home, by having an agreement to be worked out between her and Bank of America.

We want an answer from a representative of Bank of America to make plans for these demands to be met.

Sincerely,

Take Back the Land-Madison and Coalition on Homelessness and Foreclosures 

takebackthelandmadison@gmail.com

tblmadison.wordpress.com

608-616-9486

Take Back the Land on the Travis Smiley Show

Take Back the Land was featured on the Travis Smiley show on PBS. Take a look at the video!

Media from the anti-poverty tour’s Madison Stop

Travis Smiley and Cornel West visited Madison as part of their coast to coast anti-poverty tour. Take a look at their comments and what the media had to say.

The Press Release

The Capitol Times Article

From the Madison Times 

From Dr. West’s facebook page. “I’ve been so deeply moved by the rich humanity & dignity of my red indigenous brothers/sisters, my Hmong people, my “Take by the Land” people, & the Odyssey Project students all in Wisconsin. We had a magnificent & heart-wrenching 18hr day on the 1st day of The Poverty Tour. Let’s take heart that in the midst of suffering there is hope if we care & work together.”

Dr. Cornel West
 On the streets of Madison, Wisconsin, with the courageous people of the “Take Back the Land” movement. These brothers and sisters have something to say… Check it out

The Poverty Tour – Madison, Wisconsin – “Take Back the Land” | The Poverty Tour 
www.povertytour.smileyandwest. com
 


Sunday at 11:40am · Like · · Share

Video of event on Hammersley Road

 

Housing is a Human Right Meeting