SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / BCN) - April 27, 2010 

Despite the fact that many say the recession is over, a lot of Bay Area homeowners are still in danger of losing their homes. Many of the people who say banks aren't doing enough to help troubled homeowners turned out in San Francisco to protest the Wells Fargo shareholder meeting in San Francisco Tuesday. 

Several hundred protesters marched through the Financial District Tuesday before holding a rally in front of Wells Fargo headquarters. 

Protesters accuse Wells Fargo of blocking reform and using racially discriminatory lending practices, and are asking, among other things, that the bank hold off on foreclosing owner-occupied homes. 

"Wall Street tanked America's economy, killed jobs, took $700 billion in taxpayer bailouts - then went right back to business as usual, choking off credit, handing out $145 billion in 2009 executive pay and bonuses and fighting meaningful financial reform," AFL-CIO officials said in a statement. "We're 11 million jobs in the hole, and it's time for the financial industry to pay up to create them." 

Protest organizers said Wells Fargo has permanently modified only 7.9 percent of more than 378,000 loans that qualify for federal refinancing programs. They are therefore asking the bank to stop evicting residents until at least 50 percent of its eligible loans have been modified. 

The group also wants the bank to invest $50 million in communities that have been devastated by the foreclosure crisis and pay a speculation tax to create millions of jobs. 

Wells Fargo spokesman Chris Hammond said Tuesday morning the bank is "absolutely committed" to keeping customers in their homes and is finding many instances of customers who are not eligible for the national Home Affordable Modification Program. 

"Wells Fargo is augmenting (HAMP) with our own modification programs," Hammond said. "We're focused on doing the right thing for our customers." 

Organizers of Tuesday's protest include the AFL-CIO, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, the California Reinvestment Coalition, and the Contra Costa County Interfaith Supporting Community Organization. Americans for Financial Reform is a national partner.