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Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC) Media Coverage

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Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Mass. activists seek funds to forestall foreclosures

August 14, 2010, The Boston Globe

One of the activists, Lew Finfer, director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, said Massachusetts has a shot at getting a large portion of loan money. He estimated $1 billion would help about 60,000 families.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Aid set for unemployed at risk of losing homes

July 23, 2010, Boston Herald

“The program gives hope to the largest numbers of people facing foreclosure - those who through no fault of their own are behind in their mortgages because of a layoff,” said Lewis Finfer, executive director of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, an advocacy organization that lobbied Congress and the White House for the assistance to unemployed homeowners.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Financial regulation bill to assist homeowners who lost jobs

July 23, 2010, Enterprise news.com

Nylton Andrade hopes that a federal bill President Obama was expected to sign today will help him and his wife keep their home. Andrade is a volunteer with The Brockton Interfaith Community.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton woman to meet with Federal Reserve chairman about foreclosures

March 06, 2010, Enterprise News

A leader from the Brockton Interfaith Community will meet with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday to discuss issues affecting the city’s foreclosure crisis.

Safe Neighborhoods
Brockton residents march to denounce recent violence

January 26, 2010, The Boston Globe

But for Maria Vicente, a Brockton Interfaith Community leader, the final straw was in November, when 21-year-old Anthony Hamilton was shot dead in broad daylight on her street. “I have a 6-year-old, and he didn’t need to see that body slumped over,’’ she said.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Bank of America's Moynihan gets a visit

January 14, 2010, Boston Business Journal

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
A Deal With Bank of America Is in Their Prayers

January 12, 2010, New York Times

Bank officials will be squaring off on Tuesday night with leaders of several faith-based community organizations that are angry about the bank's role in the growing number of foreclosures across the country. If their demands are not met, the groups are threatening to encourage people to pull millions of dollars in deposits out of Bank of America.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Faith Leaders To Move Their Money Out Of Bank Of America Unless Demands Are Met

January 12, 2010, Huffington Post

A group of faith and labor activists and local political leaders is meeting with Bank of America officials Tuesday night in Antioch, California in an effort to force the bank to do a better job of modifying home loans. If Bank of America doesn't right ship, the group says they'll take their money out of the bank.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Putting their faith into the foreclosure fight: Religious groups lobby government, lenders

January 11, 2010, Boston Globe

Tomorrow, Andrade plans to join a group of religious leaders from around the country in Antioch, Calif., where they are scheduled to talk with Bank of America Corp. officials about modifying more home loans. Hundreds of families are expected to gather nearby for a prayer rally.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
First the bank took my job...

December 14, 2009, Washington Post

With unemployment fast becoming the primary driver of the foreclosure crisis, and the employment situation looking bleak into 2011, the federal government must act immediately and aggressively to keep millions of struggling families in their homes.

Housing Opportunities
Groups to push aid to jobless homeowners

December 10, 2009, Wall Street Journal

Faith-based community groups belonging to the PICO National Network and some allied organizations will be meeting with White House National Economic Council staff to advocate for federal loans or grants to help jobless homeowners make their mortgage payments.

Housing Opportunities
Barney Frank: Lend jobless a hand

November 04, 2009, Boston Herald

On Sunday, Frank told a meeting of homeowners and activists in hard-hit Brockton that he intended to pressure the Treasury to pony up loan funds for homeowners.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton foreclosure crisis helps spark national solutions

November 02, 2009, Enterprise News

BROCKTON - Nylton Andrade says he never had much hope that the government would help homeowners like himself who face foreclosure. But after a bus with officials from the Federal Reserve stopped by his Moraine Street home Sunday afternoon, Andrade said he's more optimistic.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton offers lesson in foreclosures; US officials tour city, see crisis up close

November 02, 2009, Boston Globe

BROCKTON - Stepping onto a bus in front of his house on Moraine Street yesterday afternoon, Nylton Andrade held up a frame that held three photos matted over the words "Home Sweet Home.''

Housing Opportunities
Bus tour highlights effects of foreclosure crisis in Brockton

November 02, 2009, New England Cable News

Brockton, Mass. - People here say they feel helpless and trapped. There have been more than 1500 foreclosures here in the past five years - some of it questionable lending practices - and there was anger tonight against banks. Most people are looking to find a way out.

Housing Opportunities
Fed to hold foreclosure meeting in Brockton

November 01, 2009, Boston Herald

Hundreds of pained Brockton residents will press federal officials tonight to help beleaguered homeowners in the City of Champions, which has been pummeled by the mortgage foreclosure crisis.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton man one of many caught in web of predatory lending

September 08, 2009, Enterprise News

Surrounded by the comforts of home, Haitian immigrant Jonas St. Pierre sat in the living room of the Lansdowne Street home he bought in 2005 and wondered when he would really enjoy them.

Neighborhood Revitalization
Brockton business leaders join effort to bring supermarket to south side

August 21, 2009, Enterprise News - Brockton,MA

Six months after Shaw’s closed its south side market, city officials and business leaders are still seeking answers to the past and solutions for the future.

Neighborhood Revitalization
Neighborhood revitalization brings national recognition to Brockton Housing Authority

August 21, 2009, Enterprise News - Brockton,MA

The Brockton Housing Authority has been named a winner of a national award for its revitalization of the Pleasant-Prospect neighborhood. “It’s the most prestigious award a housing authority can receive,” said Director Richard Sergi.

Housing Opportunities | Neighborhood Revitalization
Brockton tops in foreclosures in the state

August 11, 2009, Enterprise News - Brockton,MA

The city had the highest rate in the state - 43.77 percent - of housing units in foreclosure at the beginning of July, according to the Massachusetts Housing Partnership and the Federal Reserve.

Civic Participation
Activists want law to seal criminal records sooner

July 28, 2009, Enterprise News - Brockton,MA

Opponents of the state’s practice of making information about someone’s criminal past available to the public say the real punishment here doesn’t begin until after a convicted offender has served his or her time.

Civic Participation
Brockton Finance Committee recommends legislation to freeze mayor’s salary

July 22, 2009, Wicked-Local Brockton

The Finance Committee this week recommended that a bill to freeze the mayor’s salary be sent to the state Legislature. The full City Council will vote on the recommendation on Monday. State lawmakers have to approve a home-rule petition for the city to adopt the salary freeze.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton Interfaith group to push for foreclosure protections

July 20, 2009, Wicked Local Brockton

The Brockton Interfaith Community will push for home-rule legislation to stem foreclosures at tonight’s finance committee meeting of the City Council.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security | Neighborhood Revitalization
Brockton council to vote $311.5 million budget with only one cut

June 22, 2009, Wicked Local Brockton

The City Council is set to approve the next budget tonight, cutting just $100,000 from the $311.5 million recommended by the mayor. For the second year in a row, the $100,000 would be cut from the 21st Century Corp. budget of $250,000, if the council follows the recommendation of the Finance Committee, a subcommittee comprised completely of city councilors.

Economic Security | Neighborhood Revitalization
BIC unhappy with meeting about closed Shaw’s in Brockton

June 12, 2009, Wicked Local Brockton

The Brockton Interfaith Community is not giving up its fight for a supermarket on the city’s south side. Shaw’s closed its grocery store on the Brockton-West Bridgewater line in February, and the property remains vacant. “For now, we have to band together and do our homework,” said Maria Vicente, who found the location convenient.

Neighborhood Revitalization
Brockton group presses Shaw’s for answers to need for market

June 11, 2009, The Enterprise-Brockton, MA

South Side residents have not given up on a supermarket in their neighborhood. Leaders of Trinity Baptist Church are meeting Friday with a representative of Shaw’s Supermarkets, hoping to learn more about efforts to fill the space the company left vacant when the store closed in February and if more transportation can be provided to one of the other Shaw’s in the city.

Housing Opportunities | Economic Security
Forum tackles local issues of bias, hardship

May 28, 2009, Boston Globe

Drums banged. Noisemakers clanked. And hundreds clapped and celebrated as one, promising to stand together to transform this "city of fear" into one of hope.

Housing Opportunities
Peaking unemployment becoming major factor in foreclosures

May 11, 2009, Patriot Ledger

There were more foreclosures in Massachusetts in March than in February, according to a recent report in the business publication Banker & Tradesman. However, foreclosures in Massachusetts were down March compared to the same month last year, the newspaper said.

Neighborhood Revitalization
Brockton Interfaith Community organizes meeting on closing of Shaw’s south end supermarket

May 07, 2009, Enterprise News

Safe Neighborhoods
Residents worry for their safety

May 07, 2009, Boston Globe

Civic Participation
Community Organizing never looked so good

April 12, 2009, New York Times

QUINN RALLINS, 23, graduated magna cum laude last year from Morehouse College with a dual major in international studies and Spanish. This spring, Mr. Rallins is finishing his master's degree in comparative social policy at Oxford. His next step? Top financial and technology companies and nonprofit groups have expressed interest in hiring him. Even in this economy, he has options. But Mr. Rallins wants to be a community organizer - just like the world's most famous one, Barack Obama.

Housing Opportunities
Brockton Interfaith leaders go to Washington to address city's foreclosure crisis

November 17, 2008, The Enterprise

Housing Opportunities
Affordable housing planned in Brockton

October 14, 2008, Enterprise News

Civic Participation
Brockton groups rally to defeat state income tax elimination

September 30, 2008, Brockton Patriot Ledger

Housing Opportunities
Foreclosure-related suicide in Taunton raises alarm about economic stress

July 24, 2008, The Daily News Tribune

Safe Neighborhoods
Focus is on ending violence

June 01, 2008, Boston Globe

Safe Neighborhoods
Anticrime program is topic in Brockton

May 31, 2008, Boston Globe


Community leaders press for more money to stop violence

April 14, 2008, The Enterprise

Housing Opportunities
Free mortgage advice for homeowners in Brockton

February 13, 2008, The Enterprise

Youth Development
Brockton Leaders Push to Keep Grant

May 04, 2007, Enterprise News

Youth Development
Push for More Money for Successful Youth Initiative

March 29, 2007, AP

Safe Neighborhoods
Brockton Mayor to Target Hot Spots

February 15, 2007, Boston Globe

Safe Neighborhoods
Brockton Puts Focus on Crime

February 10, 2007, Boston Globe

Immigration Reform
Immigration divides local residents

March 27, 2006, Enterpriser

Housing Opportunities
Religious group gets OK for affordable housing units

July 21, 2005, Enterprise