Common Ground Members – will you join us?

In support of CG’s Faces of Foreclosure campaign, Rep.  Jon Richards has introduced a bill in the state legislature that would prohibit the state from doing business with any bank that holds more than 100 homes that are in foreclosure in the state.

On Tuesday February 16th Common Ground will go to Madison to meet with our representatives and other state officials to ask for their support of this bill.

If you are CG member and are able to join us please send us an Email

We’ll meet at a central location by 9 a.m., (Location TBD) and take a bus together.  During the trip, we’ll be briefed on whom we’re meeting with and what we’re asking for.

Once again this month,  Common Ground received news coverage regarding the Faces of Foreclosure campaign. This time from WISN ABC 12 and WITI FOX 6.  Articles were also in the Marquette Tribune, Biz Times , Daily Reporter and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 1/27/2010.

On January 25, 2010 0ver 300 Common Ground leaders and members gathered to launch the Faces of Foreclosure Campaign at Marquette University in Milwaukee.

The goal is to work with 3 banks – Deutsche Bank, US Bank and Wells Fargo – and for them to clean up their part of the foreclosure crisis in South East Wisconsin.

Common Ground also launched a Web site specifically dedicated to this campaign.  www.FacesOfForeclosureWI.org

Common Ground is receiving a significant amount of media coverage from newspapers, radio and television with the release of it’s Foreclosure Research and Action Report.

Read the January 20th Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article by Georgia Pabst here

Listen to the January 20th radio broadcast on Milwaukee Public Radio’s WUWM here.

Watch the WITI Fox 6 story from January 19th here

Watch the WTMJ NBC Channel 4 story from January 19th here.

On January 19, 2010 Common Ground released it’s Foreclosure Research and Action Report. The report identifies the need for three banks – Deutsche Bank, US Bank, Wells Fargo – to take responsibility for their part in the foreclosure crisis and meet three demands:

Sell Responsibly:  Stop selling to speculators and work with us to develop a plan to sell to responsible owners.

Tear Down the Bad Ones: Pay for the demolition of the properties beyond rehabilitation and donate the land to a community trust for future residential construction.

Fix the Salvageable Ones: Each bank contributes $25 Million towards a $75 Million fund, which will be used to rehabilitate and sell these properties.

The report can be downloaded here:  CG_FOF_ResearchReport_web

Georgia Pabst of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel brings exposure to the foreclosure battle in an article published November 24, 2009. Click the photo to link to the article.

On Saturday, September 26, 2009, 100 Common Ground members spread out across the city as part of a photographic survey of bank owned foreclosed houses in Milwaukee.  The nearly 500 photographs gathered speak graphically to the blighting effect on our community of economic challenge and unscrupulous, predatory lending.  De-briefing conversations of the photo survey revealed that while some houses have already been resold and rehabilitation has started, many others still sit boarded up – and unphotographed.  Common Ground is now looking to organize a follow-up shoot focusing on areas of heavier foreclosure saturation.  Saturday’s action is a first step in addressing the banks responsibility regarding their property and its impact on neighborhoods.

Common Ground members in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee are organizing for neighborhood improvements.  Partnering with St. Joseph Hospital, an “anchor” institution in the community, Common Ground member groups are making a difference.  Read more.

Common Ground’s Founding Convention was held April 13, 2008 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can see the video in 2 parts by clicking here for part 1, and here for part 2.

Over 150 Common Ground leaders gathered on September 15 to make key decisions on next action steps.

Leaders recommitted to support the efforts in Sherman Park/North Milwaukee.

The Delegates voted unanimously for a “roll out” plan for the health insurance cooperative in October and committing over 100 people to attend this event.  In addition, Common Ground will conduct at least six sessions covering all four counties to enroll small businesses, non-profits and individuals in the cooperative.

Common Ground leaders committed to a five week research phase for a campaign regarding the thousands of bank-owned abandoned foreclosed homes in the region. On Saturday, September 26, 150 Common Ground leaders will take photographs of 400 of these homes.  Another team will conduct basic research on the largest bank landlords of these properties.  Common Ground leaders will regather on Thursday, October 22 to make a decision regarding next steps in this campaign.

Common Ground nominated three new members to the Strategy Team; Ms. Eileen Asbell of St. Michael-St. Rose Parish, Mr. Frank Finch III of Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church, and Ms. Dorota Pruski of St. James Episcopal Church.