Untangling the Mortgage Mess: Litigation, Organizing and Advocacy For Real Solutions  

Listen to the call recording here. 

We as a nation are poised to transform the system of delivering housing credit in a manner that avoids the deep inequalities and lending abuses that led to and perpetuate our current economic crisis.  New developments on a near-daily basis—including the recent announcement of a controversial (read more here) joint settlement between state attorneys general and the nation’s largest servicers and the creation of a new federal unit to investigate mortgage fraud—present unprecedented opportunities but also significant challenges.  The Occupy movement has elevated a public discussion about how the concentration of corporate power has thrown up barriers to full democratic participation and deepened economic inequality.  And community organizers and advocates across the country are leading effective campaigns to ensure that increasing awareness about abuses within the banking industry translate into policy wins that drive a lasting and equitable recovery.

The Neighborhood Funders Group hosted a timely discussion with New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, whom President Obama recently appointed to serve as the co-chair of the federal investigation into mortgage abuses, and some of the nation’s leading organizers and fair lending advocates about opportunities for real relief and lasting reform—and how philanthropy can help.  This webinar is organized by NFG members Anna Lefer Kuhn, Executive Director of the Arca Foundation, Jerry Maldonado, Program Officer at the Ford Foundation, and Solomon Greene, Senior Program Officer at the Open Society Foundations. 

Part of the 2012 NFG Webinar (formerly Teleconference) Series.

This call is for funders only. There is no charge to participate. 

Documents

National Fair Housing Alliance, "Civil Rights Groups Find Banks Discriminate in Their Treatment of Foreclosed Properties" (press release)

National Consumer Law Center, "Services Continue to Wrongfully Intitiate Foreclosures: All Types of Loans Affected" (summary of the findings)

Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, "Wall Street Wrecking Ball: What Foreclosures Are Costing Los Angeles Neighborhoods" (report) 

National Consumer Law Center, "Why Responsible Mortgage Lending Is a Fair Housing Issue" (report)

The New Bottom Line, "The Win-Win Solution: How Fixing the Housing Crisis Will Create One Million Jobs" (report)

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Moderator:

•           Anna Lefer Kuhn, Arca Foundation

Speakers:

•           Eric Schneiderman, New York State Attorney General 

Eric T. Schneiderman was elected the 65th Attorney General of New York State on November 2, 2010. Schneiderman has worked to restore the public’s faith in its public and private sector institutions by focusing on areas including public integrity, economic justice, social justice and environmental protection.

•           Lisa Rice, Vice President, National Fair Housing Alliance

In her capacity as a Vice President with the National Fair Housing Alliance, Ms. Rice oversees the communications, resource development, public policy and enforcement initiatives of the agency.   She is responsible for helping to achieve the organization’s goal of addressing the crisis of segregation in America and the ultimate goal of realizing a truly open society.  

•           Amy Schur, Executive Director, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment

Amy Schur is the Executive Director of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE).  ACCE is a community organization of low income and working families with a membership base in eight counties across California.  Over the past two years ACCE has been in a campaign to hold Wall Street accountable on the issues of revenue and foreclosures.  With a large and growing base of at-risk homeowners, ACCE has put people in the streets to demand accountable, worked on local and state policies to reduce foreclosures, and engaged in the campaign to ensure a fair settlement between the state attorneys general and the big banks.  Prior to launching this new organization, Amy had worked for ACORN for some 19 years, including running California ACORN for 10 years and serving as national Campaign Director for three years. At the end of 2007 she left ACORN and did a brief stint at SEIU, working at the national level to develop their child care center organizing project.  

Plus a panel of expert respondents:

• Ilana Berger, Co-Director, the New Bottom Line