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Sam Lewis
Natasha Glasgow, 30, her husband Alfredo Carrasquillo, 27, and children Alfredo, Jr., 5, and Tanisha, 9, will have a new home Tuesday if "Occupy" protesters and housing activists succeed in forcing their way into a vacant foreclosed home in Brooklyn.
A New York family with two children that has been living on and off in shelters for more than a decade will move into a new home on Tuesday, say housing activists and ‘Occupy’ protesters who intend to force their way into a foreclosed house in Brooklyn later in the day.
"We are going to liberate the house,” said Sean Barry, of VOCAL-NY, which has been working to prevent homelessness for 10,000 low-income New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS and their families. "We want to make a public stance … for people to take sides."
The home that protesters aim to give to the Glasgow family -- which is not affected by HIV/AIDS – is in Brooklyn's East New York neighborhood, which has foreclosure and underwater rates that are nearly three times greater than that of New York state, Barry said, citing data from the housing and property database ListSource.
The move-in is part of a national day of action coordinated by the 'Occupy' movement and housing activists in some 25 cities and towns, such as Petaluma, Calif., Southgate, Mich., Atlanta and Denver.
Activists and protesters plan to march to the Brooklyn home, where they will hold a housewarming party for them -- mother Natasha, 30, father Alfredo Carrasquillo, 27, and children Alfredo, Jr., 5, and Tanisha, 9 -- and then begin renovations. Carrasquillo is a community organizer at VOCAL-NY.
Rob Robinson of Take Back the Land, a national network of organizations focused on housing rights and securing community control over land, said the protesters plan to resist any efforts by authorities to remove the family from the home in a low-income neighborhood that's home to mostly African-Americans and Latinos.
"I am going to put up a real defense," said Robinson, who will serve as the police negotiator. "Until a judge tells us we have to leave, we're not leaving that house, so the family is in that house to stay. We're not ... disruptive, we do nonviolent civil disobedience. We call it positive action."
The 'Occupy' movement served as an inspiration for housing activists, who have been trying to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their residences.
"Like September 17, when Occupy Wall Street started, people looked at it and there was this real question, 'Is this going to last? how is it going to grow?' and one of the reasons it grew is that as people stayed down at Zuccotti Park ... other people were inspired to take action," said Matt Browner Hamlin, an activist with occupyourhomes.org. "This is not something (where) ... we want a family to have a home for a day, we want them to have that home for a lifetime."
And for 'Occupy,' the initiative gives them a new focus after the dismantling of many of their encampments nationwide.
"It’s part of a national day of action that we hope will kick off a wave of defenses and home reoccupations,” Max Berger, 26, told the Occupy Wall Street General Assembly late last week while requesting $6,400 in funding to buy tools for the project. "This is not just about one event; this is a huge frontier for us. We can do these kinds of actions all the time, and we should. And it doesn’t have to be just us. We got to do this one right so we can inspire people to do it theirselves.”
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In 10 years neither one could find a job, yet they had 2 children. They couldn't even support themselves but bring 2 more people into the world to support. Oh wait hold up, it's us taxpayers supporting their children. This house that was forclosed on is not even theirs but they feel they have a right to it?? What about the people who legitimately owned the house and couldn't pay, don't you think they may want their home back. Who the hell do these "OCCUPY" people think they are? You can't just move a family into a foreclosed home and claim it. There are bills and expenses assocaited with a home that these people obviously know nothing about!!!!!!
looks like a very motivated young family, would love to be their neighbors.
really? two people who have been living out of homeless shelters, and allowing their family to grow while living in shelters, appear to be "very motivated" in your eyes?
I'm going to give CMpunk a break here a ASSUME it was a joke. If not, CMpunk is an indiot.
if these guys wanted to help the ows thing they should have picked a couple that losted there jobs and became homeless in the last year or two... that would have been a story that most of us could agree on... but still you don't move into someone else home and take over it... where i live you would be shot and killed for that.... should have picked another family to put this story behind... how stupid of them...
They have been homeless for 10 years and 2 kids under that age? Doesn't say if either parent have a job or and how they plan on paying utilities. I bet they get all kinds of welfare assistance too. What bs. I've been homeless and nobody handed me anything. I had to get a job to qualify for a program to move into a rental.
The premise is ok but not getting carried away. Can't just give them out to everybody.
OCW will loose what little credibilty they think they have. Initially I thought OCW would bring about something good but not ending up running about giving the finger, so to speak, to banks and wallstreet.
Also, under any other circumstances that is called 'squatting'.
There's a $2.5 dollar home that went into forclosure and is now abandoned blocks from my condo. (It was being autioned at $800K still out of my range). I think I'll pack up my condo and move in. I'm not homeless and I have a job, but after all I really want it and need it. I wonder if I can get some donations for some luxury renovations I would like done. I'll let my son know he didn't need to finish college just squat. Now if I had guided him to squat for four years instead of going to college and racking up our collective school loan debt, we would be flush now. Those statements would seem ridiculous until you see that it's happening now.
One is 27 and the other is 30 and they have been living in shelters for the past 10 years; since they were 17 and 20. Have either of them EVER worked?!
Obviously not.
That family doesn't 'need' help, the two parents need a boot to the head for being irresponsible parasites... and I support OWS 200%.
Bad move by that group
Bad choice of a deserving family
BAD IDEA TO TRY AND STEAL PRIVATE PROPERTY BY FORCE... camping on public land is one thing (all government property is public, it is our land, WE THE PEOPLE own it) but this is just theft.
What right does this family have to just move in and take over this house? This couple lived in a shelter for ten years and have two kids under the age of ten,which means these children were born when this couple were out of work and homeless. It is totally irresponsible to bring children into this world when you have no job and no home. These people don't deserve a handout,they deserve a well placed kick in the ass!
These Occupiers are getting out of hand and nobody wants to do anything because they don't want to violate their rights. Someone please tell me where they get the right to move somone who can't afford it into a house that isn't theirs? I hope the bank that owns it demands that the family be evicted immediately. And that tramp of a mother should have her tubes tied so she can't bang out any more kids while she is still out of work. She needs to get off her damned back and find a job.
I'll bet MSNBS pulls this story off their site by the end of the day when they realize what a ridiculous couple they chose to represent OWS' "occupy houses movemnt".
I think the proper word for this is 'squatting'. It's illegal and appropriately so.
Living in shelters for 10 years. And this is whose fault exactly? Not the banks and not the family that was forced out of the home.
So can I get a free house to live in too? Oh wait...I forgot, I dont qualify because I work, pay taxes, pay my bills, I didnt jump on the get a more house then I could afford pre 2008. I have a car that is 10 years old and I rent an appartment so I guess I dont qualify for a free home to live in rent free, almost forgot the only kids I have are four legged, have hair all over and one that slithers on the ground and eats rats..Oh well maybe next time.
As opposed to the rest of the Occupy Protesters? Hahaha.
How do they not understand that the homes belong to somebody already - the company that bought the land it sits on and hired the contractor to build them. Now they're taking that property for a homeless family? Sounds nice, but it's stealing.
Well, there is now another article with slightly more details, and I'm beginning to rethink my position. The family spends every night in emergency homeless shelters. For ten years. That's just disappointing. The article says mom is jobless - doesn't say anything about Dad. OWS really could've picked another family to be their poster-children. I feel sorry for the kids, and life can be a struggle for sure, but soazDan hits the nail on the head by noting how they started out life.
Why is everyone assuming these people are uneducated lowlifes? The article says nothing about their education or what kind of people they are. And does anyone really mind that the house was taken back from a wealthy corporation who probably made it too expensive for the original owner in the first place?
I agree with both of those stataments, but I have to side with many who are wondering why the home wasn't "taken back" for the family who originally lived there? I'm all for housing the homeless and taking whatever we can from big banks and corporations. This was just the wrong way to go about it, of for no other reason than it gave so many people the opportunity to say that OWS is a bunch of bleeding heart troublemakers.
Agreed.
Umm, banks dont make houses too expensive, the price of the house is set before they get the loan. If the original owners of this house bought more home then they could afford then they got what they deserved (even though the banks failed on their Underwriting guidelines) it doesn't excuse a person from personal responsibility. I would only feel for the people that lost this home to foreclosure if it was due to a job loss.
I mean please dont you think a potential borrower should know if they are buying more house then they can afford? I know my budget and back in 2007 when I could have gotten a home I didnt because I knew I couldnt afford the rate reset so I didnt accept the offer and remained a renter. Thank God I did too.
Still when you sign loan docs you sign a contract that specifies what will happen if you dont pay back the loan. The truth of the matter is that you cant point the finger at one thing to blame, it took both the banks, the borrowers, wall street and the govt to make the financial melt down happen. Each one is to blame equally.
...and who pays for their cell phone.. (she is pictured using and holding a cell phone)...oh wait..we are.
ha ha! Good call!
Hey all you occupiers - The Florida Marlins just offered Albert Poujols over 200Million Dollars. You had better hurry up and go down there to occupy the stadium. Albert now qualifies as a 1%'er LOL!!!
He already was! His $100 million contract expired last season.
Maybe Oprah will give them a car too.
So, let's get this straight. The "couple" with their two children, both under 10 years of age have been living in "Emergency homeless shelters" for 10 years. That's interesting in and of itself as there usually isn't a great deal of privacy in shelters like that. Most often they're like a big dorm. I guess mom & dad don't really worry about that though, hell maybe they got paid by those watching. Live porn.
Now, if they have no means of support, how did they clothe and feed the kids. And I might add the kids don't look too shabbily dressed. Typical kids wearing typical kids clothes.
However, if they need emergency shelter every night, maybe, just maybe MOM should at least try to hide the cell phone she's holding.
Where is it written that the complete and utter failure of an individual to take ANY kind of personal responsibility or accountability for his/her own life is the responsibility of others to endure?
With the apparent forewarning of this "event", the idiots of the OWS are in fact trying to bait the authorities into a confrontation. I sincerely hope the authorities accept the challenge and arrive at the scene to ensure they have video evidence of the individual that commits the felony of breaking into the building, and then sufficient video evidence to charge all others there with accessory before and possibly after the fact.
Mom and dad WILL get a roof over their heads.. at Rikers Island, and the kids will be with foster parents who will hopefully show them some love and the way CIVILIZED responsible people act.
Incredible! These are two adults who have not worked in ten years; have lived in a homless shelter for ten years; and had at least one child in while living in the shelter! There is something wrong with this picture. These people are the ones who make it look bad for honest folks who are suffering in this economy. From what I've read, it looks like these two bums, are so lazy, they've been comfortable in the homeless shelter, living on handouts. Now they are going to take over someone elses house that has been foreclosed on!
I am all for OWS, but this is ridiculous! Why not find the original owners of the house and help them? What these people need to do is stop having children, and get to work!
Occupy Wallstreet wants to turn America into a population of Take-what-you-want, imperialistic individuals. Sounds great. We'll turn into clans and war each other over what we want. Good thing my family has guns.
OWS- you've really stepped on it big time with this ill-thought out scheme to grab some headlines. Getting worried that a growing number in this country who USED to somewhat agree with you are now tired of your antics, your over-blown crybaby rants of "give me, give me; you owe me, etc."??? Using these people, the Glasgow "family" to front your decidedly criminal act of breaking and entering is NOT the way to retain any friends among the responsible folks in this country. You FOOLS had better wise up - you have worn out the novelty of your "protest the establishment" shtick.
If they move in and do some "re-modelling" then they can get arrested for both trespassing and destruction of private property, right? These people are freeloaders, are typical "entitlement" rats, and give those who are really in need a bad reputation.
DoT you think that the US economy can generate jobs for All the Citizens in this country and the illegals as well as legals with the way our system is set up? Their are millions of people in this country that want to reskill and work, but the system is not geared to do this. No matter who is in control , this country's politics is to embedded with the old capilistic ways of doing business to embrace any new ideas that may help revilize our way of life and the abilty to earn a living. No one wants to take a pay cut...from the merchants to the landlords, the politicans to the educators, Doctors, lawyers, and techincans, no one will give up the insane American dream of six figured salaries with million dollar homes and apartments... expensive electric and gas guggling cars...Outragous priced merchandise and then our manufactorers have out sourced all our low and mid level jobs and expect people to have jobs enough to buy. We can look at this couple and call them lazy, uneducated, and the people who are opening the home crazy, but something has to be donbe because there are millions of others out their just like them...Even those with a job that will never see no less participate in the American dream....The small percentage of the well to do Americans will never be at peace as long as this sisuation here goes on..There will come a hugh revolution right here in America coming full circle to how this country was created .....
I suspect there is a lot more to this story that is not being told. Because it would expose this couple as not only the irresponsible people they are, but reinforce what total losers they are.
This is from USA Today.
Why would you put children in this situation.