Foreclosure families protest at Springfield City Hall

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (wwlp) - Dozens of families in foreclosure spoke out and marched Wednesday night in downtown Springfield.  Close to fifty people spoke out on City Hall Plaza and then marched down Main Street.

They told 22News they're the victims of the sub-prime mortgage crisis.  Their homes are underwater: worth less than what they owe on them.  They want government mortgage holders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to stop evicting people, and to suspend foreclosure proceedings on their properties.

They want Fannie and Freddie to either rent their homes back to them, or write off principal (which the protesters characterize as "modifications"), and sell the properties back to them at current market rates.

Rose Webster Smith's Springfield home is in foreclosure.  "When they could be accepting rent, they're spending the taxpayers' money on lawyers and court fees.  And they could be making money by accepting rent from the families or selling it back at current value," Webster Smith told 22News.

Sue Gamelli's home is  being foreclosed on in Chicopee.

"We tried modifications.  They wouldn't do it.  Every time you send your paper work in, they tell you you forgot something.   Even if you send them back every single piece of paper that they sent you.  I can't send you something you didn't send me!" Gamelli said.

Members of the "No One Leaves Coalition" plan to go to New York City September 12th when the national campaign plans to rally at the regional offices of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.