Occupy Oakland participated in a national day of action known as Occupy Our Homes on Dec. 6 by gaining access to the West Oakland vacant building previously owned by Gayla Newsome and inviting her and her family back into the house they had called home for 15 years.
Occupy Oakland worked in conjunction with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment on Newsome's behalf.
In July of 2011, Newsome's home fell into foreclosure after repeated attempts at obtaining a loan modification through Chase Bank failed.
Occupy Oakland demonstrators and ACCE activists re-occupied the property with the intent of maintaining a 24-hour presence in the home until lines of communication to Chase Bank and Residential Capital Management were opened and good-faith negotiations could begin on allowing Newsome and her family to reclaim their home.
According to ACCE activist Tanya Dennis, who successfully re-occupied and reclaimed her own home back in 2009 through a similar tactic, techniques have proven effective in keeping families in their homes and buildings off the auction block.
Participants in a rally earlier in the evening were careful to note how banking practices like those which evicted the Newsomes are a direct cause for increased gentrification in the West Oakland area.
According to one speaker, there exist at least two investors who individually own more than 100 West Oakland properties.
Just a few miles away earlier in the day, Occupy Oakland protesters successfully interrupted auction proceedings taking place at the Alameda County Courthouse where—according to OccupyOurHomes.com—"They disrupted the foreclosure auction at the Oakland county courthouse. More than a dozen homes were prevented from being auctioned."
Additionally, "A delegation of a family under foreclosure threat met with Wells Fargo officials, who agreed to postpone the foreclosed home's sale."
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