FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:
May 10, 2012 Julian Teixeira
(202) 776-1812
jteixeira@nclr.org
Sacramento, Calif.—Today, more than 400 Latino advocates from across California rallied on the lawn of the State Capitol, urging members of California’s State Legislature to pass a package of bills aimed at protecting homeowners facing foreclosure. The “California Homeowner Bill of Rights” proposed by California Attorney General Kamala Harris would extend a number of critical consumer protections to homeowners throughout California, including many Latino families, who have been particularly hard hit by the housing crisis.
The series of bills aims to:
• Establish basic standards of fairness in the mortgage process
• Increase transparency in the mortgage process
• Provide community tools to prevent blight after banks foreclose upon homes
• Improve tenant protections after foreclosures
• Guarantee enhanced law enforcement to defend homeowner rights
“By passing this package of bills, California’s legislators have an opportunity to keep the American dream of owning a home alive,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of NCLR (National Council of La Raza). “This is a vital lifeline for Californians that will potentially keep countless Latino families from losing their homes. This series of legislation is an important piece of the puzzle that can finally begin to stem needless foreclosures in California and can be part of the solution to our nation’s housing crisis.”
Today’s rally, sponsored by the Center for Responsible Lending, was part of NCLR’s Home for Good campaign, aimed at stopping unnecessary foreclosures and protecting affordable housing, and was held in conjunction with NCLR’s California Latino Advocacy Days. The rally included participants from Chula Vista, Fallbrook, Greenbelt, Hayward, Keene, Los Angeles, Montebello, Moreno Valley, Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Stockton, and Walnut.
Following the rally, advocates conducted more than 100 legislative visits to encourage lawmakers not only to pass the “California Homeowner Bill of Rights,” but also to support easier access to high-quality health care, funding for education programs that address the needs of English language learners, and workforce development benefits such as an increase in the state’s minimum wage.
“We need to prioritize measures that will ensure a brighter future not just for Latinos, but for all Californians,” said Murguía. “The work that our advocates are doing today will send a message to the State Legislature about the concerns of our community. Whether they are about housing, jobs, education, or health care, all must be addressed if we want to move forward so we can provide better economic opportunities for the state’s growing and vital Latino population.”
NCLR—the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States—works to improve opportunities for Hispanic Americans. For more information on NCLR, please visit www.nclr.org or follow along on Facebook and Twitter.
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