news
Morris LeGrand in his richMond hoMe
To lisTen To full audio inTerviews wiTh richmond homeowners, visiT bit.Ly/richnotForsale
guardian photo by brittany m. powell
Cont>>
behalf of investors like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, filed a lawsuit in August to stop Richmond’s plan. The suit paints a picture of a false Robin Hood, arguing that the plan pulls money from the banks’ and investors’ pockets, and funnels it directly into Richmond’s coffers. Wells Fargo alleges that McLaughlin’s strategy is an “unconstitutional scheme,” a “profit-driven strategy,” and would cause “substantial economic harm in Richmond and beyond.” But at this point, it may be the only card Richmond has left in its hand. And the stakes, McLaughlin said, are high. “We’ve seen the situation get worse and worse,” she said. “Having boarded up homes is in itself a blight, and often things go along with that like crime. People utilize these homes for drug activity and such. It’s a burden on the city, a burden on the community. People are dealing with the devastation of their neighborhoods going downhill.” Though all of Richmond is affected when homes lose their value, those hardest hit by the housing cri-
sis are the borrowers themselves.
Underwater Juan Sandoval is 45 years old, a father and a husband. After entering the U.S. from Mexico when he was 18, he built a life here. His single story home in the Belling Woods
neighborhood is modest but welcoming, adorned with photographs of his wife and children. There are hints of the family’s Catholic faith — the Virgin Mary peers down from a shelf behind a VHS copy of Disney’s Dumbo. Sandoval bought the house for
$290,000 on a non-fixed rate a few years before the housing crisis. His home was last valued at $185,000, and now he owes the banks more than $450,000 on the mortgage. Sandoval is a prime candidate for McLaughlin’s planned eminent domain seizure — without it, he’ll
soon lose his home, he said. Only now returning to work after recovering from a back injury in his construction job, he’s slowly built up debt, and couldn’t afford to fix his house’s furnace. His guilt grew as his family shivered through the cold at night. The debt started to give him nightmares. “I would wake up at night and be ‘no that’s not happening,’ but it was happening,” he said. Things got better four years ago when his daughter, Celeste, was born. “She came during a very bad time for us. I think she came for a reason, she held the family together,” he said. “We were having so many problems.” He pays $1,500 a month toward his mortgage now, but that will soon balloon to $3,000. After his work injuries as a subcontractor, “money was not coming in,” he said. The cost of his surgeries made it hard to make his mortgage payments, and so he asked for help. “I requested help from my bank, Central Mortgage this year.” But by a stroke of luck, “they lost the paperwork.” After months of haranguing, the ContinueS on page 18 >>
Study Somatics in Depth Pacifica Graduate Institute’s M.A./Ph.D. Program in Depth Psychology with Emphasis in Somatic Studies
PIPER’S SHOE PARLOR
Neuroscience has demonstrated the functional unity between mind and body. This validates one of the foundational principles of depth psychology—an understanding that there
ACROSS FROM THE RED VIC
ANNIVERSARY SALE - HELP US CELEBRATE!
are forces of the psyche that stimulate the body’s capacity to heal itself. This new paradigm has led Pacifica to offer this
100's of shoes on sale thru the month of September • New fall styles arriving daily!
exciting degree program specialization.
Full dental care for the entire family!
Cosmetic Dentistry
Most Crowns & Implants Done in 1 Day! BOTOX TREATMENTS
to relieve headaches, jaw pain (TMJ) & clenching
Pacifica has two campuses near Santa Barbara and is accredited by the Western Assocation of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
FREE BLEACHING FOR LIFE!
Usual dental fees must be paid in full for exam, xrays & cleaning.
For U.S. Department of Education Gainful Employment Information, visit pacifica.edu/GainfulEmployment
95 59 ($400
$
vALuE)
New Patients Only Cleaning, exam & necessary xrays. (Offer subject to insurance plan value. Expires 10/4/13)
805.969.3626, ext. 305 | www.pacifica.edu 16 SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN
opinion
news
food + Drink
the selector
music
(415) 221-5592 • 760 La Playa (btw. Balboa & Cabrillo)
www.oceanviewdental.com
In-house dental plan available-only $106/year* Most dental insurances accepted. *Cost includes one time only $10 start up fee.
arts + culture
film
classifieds