Occupy Petaluma Launching Foreclosure Vigils, Profiled in SF Chronicle

Since launching last October, Occupy Petaluma has made foreclosures a central issue. The group urged the City Council to pass a holiday moratorium on foreclosures and have worked with banks to help numerous homeowners modify their mortgages to make payments more affordable.

In the next chapter of the group’s response to the foreclosure crisis, Occupy Petaluma has declared the entire town a "Foreclosure Prevention Zone" and have already began putting out signs all over Petaluma. That will allow the group to speak to lending institutions with "a unified voice to request assistance in our common struggle to keep people in their homes," according to Occupy's site.

And later this month, the group will begin holding foreclosure vigils around town. The goal is to “gather together to share our stories and discuss solutions...and raise awareness about the destructive effects of the foreclosure crisis on our community."

The first vigil has been scheduled for 2pm on Saturday, February 19 at Walnut Park. Click here for more details.

Also check out a story in Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle that profiles Occupy Petaluma, in which Rep. Lynn Woolsey praises the group for having a “very pragmatic, respectful, solution-oriented approach" and serving as a model for other Occupy groups that there are way to have a win-win.”

What do you think? Will declaring Petaluma a Foreclosure Prevention Zone help keep residents facing foreclosure in their homes? Sound off in the comments.