In Atlanta, around 8:30 AM on Friday, August 5, 2012, Sherrye Calhoun woke to Dekalb County Sheriff’s Deputies knocking on her door. They demanded that she leave her home immediately. Over the course of the morning Sheriff Thomas Brown’s deputies supervised her eviction. They had no dispossessory warrant or writ of possession filed with the court. She has lived in the home for 30 years.

Within hours, Ms. Calhoun’s possessions were moved back into her house with the help of Edgewood residents and supporters. Sherrye Calhoun decided that she wouldn't leave her home regardless of the risk.

Sherrye’s neighbors and community groups including SWARM and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta got involved, organizing eviction free cookouts, neighborhood canvassing, marches, call-in days, and direct action. As of last week, JP Morgan Chase has decided to turn over the deed to Sherrye Calhoun. Sherrye will no longer have to fear a knock on the door from Sheriff Brown’s officers.

All over the country housing justice organizations have been working side by side with struggling residents taking bold creative action to address the cruel irony of a growing homeless population alongside an even larger number of vacant homes. Sherrye Calhoun's story is rare and perhaps precedent setting victory in the South.

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Detroit

Also last week, on April 4 in Detroit, S. Baxter Jones appeared before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Walter Shapero in a desperate attempt to stop his eviction from his home. Shapero, in a move that stunned many attorneys, gave Jones a 30-day adjournment, thus keeping the homeowner with disabilities from becoming another victim of Wells Fargo Bank and the federal government’s Fannie Mae agency.

The courtroom was filled with supporters, who sat in hushed silence straining to hear Jones’ remarks. Activists in wheelchairs and with service dogs representing Warriors on Wheels; members of the Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions and Utility Shutoffs; It Takes A Village Y’all; and the Detroit Eviction Defense had rallied to an appeal to “pack the court” that had gone out over social media.

Jones had been severely injured in an accident in 2005. He was well known in Detroit as a school teacher who coached students in track and field. After his injuries, Jones fell behind on the mortgage for his Jackson, Mich., home while waiting for Social Security payments to begin. His appeal for a forbearance from his bank was callously ignored and foreclosure followed.

Jones addressed the judge with clear but labored speech. He explained the circumstances that had brought him to this point and appealed for the chance to keep his home. A written statement that Jones had prepared, appealing for justice that doesn’t benefit greed but rather those in need, was read to the court by a supporter.

Judge Shapero overruled the objections of the attorney for Fannie Mae, who listed all the “proper” legal steps taken by her client to put Jones out of his home. The judge agreed that the law was clear, but stated that “the law isn’t everything.” He ordered the 30-day adjournment until the court could appoint an attorney to assist Jones on a pro bono basis.

Minneapolis

Elsewhere, on Monday, Occupy Homes Minneapolis held a call-in campaign to Chase Bank in support of three residents in the "Eviction Free Zone" fighting to save their homes.

In South Minneapolis, eight families have declared their neighborhoods an Eviction Free Zone, pledging to support neighbors facing foreclosure and eviction, and demanding that vacant properties be turned over to community control. They've already had one victory, as Gayle Lindsey recently won a modification from M&T Bank last month. Now three residents are joining forces against mega-bank Chase to see what happens when they ask for negotiations together.

Jaymie Kelly, Sergio Ceballos, and Paula Medlock are neighbors in South Minneapolis all facing eviction from JP Morgan Chase. All three have worked their whole lives, are proud union members, and can afford to pay a mortgage. But Chase Bank--which is currently under FBI investigation for its role in causing the housing crisis--would rather throw them out than negotiate to keep them in their homes. And Jaymie and Sergio could face eviction as soon as this month.

"My life is a banyan tree, and my roots are in my neighborhood," says Jaymie. "I am not moving."

How you can help: make a quick call to demand that Chase Bank change course. Call CEO Jamie Dimon at 212-270-1111 and ask him to negotiate with the South Minneapolis Three.

Here's a sample script:

"Hi, my name is __________ and I'm calling from ______. I'm calling to demand Chase Bank work out fair modifications for the South Minneapolis Three. Jaymie Kelly, Sergio Ceballos, and Paula Medlock are hardworking union members who can afford to pay a mortgage. They have the support of their whole neighborhood and people around the country. Chase played a huge role in causing this crisis--now it's time to stop the damage and start stabilizing our communities."

Originally published by Occupy Our Homes.