In Oakland, the eighth most populous city in California, the problem of listings of foreclosures has not only been causing housing problems, it has also been ruining the health of people and communities.
Oakland, the most ethnically diverse city in the U.S. along with Los Angeles, has been hit with a foreclosure rate of almost ten percent in 2008. The ethnic groups most affected are Hispanic American and African American families.
In addition to single-family houses that have been added to foreclosure listings, almost one-fifth of all foreclosures were rental properties, affecting more families.
According to Sandra Witt, deputy head of planning at the Alameda County Public Health Department, families whose homes have been foreclosed lack resources to sustain their health. The children suffer stress as they move from school to school.
The report issued by Alameda’s Public Health Department and the community organization Just Cause Oakland stated that stress caused by lack of housing is linked to higher risk for hypertension, more frequent need for medical attention and low psychological well-being.
The case of Arthur Forther is illustrative of the bleak conditions for families affected by foreclosure listings. Forther and his family moved to a rental home in Oakland after Hurricane Katrina destroyed his house. When his rental property was added to foreclosure listings, his family endured a nonfunctional bathroom for over three weeks.
Forther also said the landlord has ignored his pleas for the fixing of their heating system. But what really worries them is the uncertainty of their lease and their impending eviction from the apartment if the bank finally sells the property.
Robbie Clark, a community organizer working with Just Cause, has called on city officials to create community centers where families who lose their homes to foreclosure listings can go to for assistance. He also urged them to see to it that regulations on evictions are followed by banks.
The report also showed that over 2,500 houses in Alameda County were added to foreclosure listings in February and that almost one-third of the foreclosed homes were in Oakland.
The number of houses in California foreclosure listings is still among the highest in the country, with a total of 230,915 foreclosure filings, including 45,784 added to foreclosure listings, in the first three months of 2009, as compiled by RealtyTrac.
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