By Stephanie Chelf
Staff writer
May 04, 2008 05:51 am METHUEN — Vania Oliveira and her husband, Abraao Sousa, are victims of the foreclosure crisis, even though they never owned a home. The couple and two of their four children rented a ranch-style house along the quiet streets of West Methuen for seven months. They paid their rent and bills on time, living off their income from a bookstore they own in Brazil. Then one day a man showed up at their house with an eviction notice. They were being forced out of their home because it was being foreclosed upon. "The owner didn't pay (his mortgage) for a year, and he didn't tell us," Oliveira said. "I was very sick, and a man arrived at my house on a Saturday morning and said we had 10 days to leave. It was cold outside, and I was scared. We prayed. I tried to keep calm. I thought we were going to be homeless." Caught in middle of the foreclosure crisis are people like the Sousa family who are in the dark about their landlord's mortgage troubles. When they do find out, they have little time to find a new home they can afford. While there are no numbers to track foreclosed-upon renters, local activists can point to anecdotal evidence this is a rapidly growing problem in the area. "One woman came in crying because she had to move," said Isabel Melendes, director of the Community Service Center of the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council. "She didn't have anywhere to turn. We don't have the answers for them." Renters in need of new homes — and fast — are a growing problem as foreclosure rates continue to soar. Lawrence and Methuen have had more buildings head into the foreclosure process this year than last year's record-breaking count. Between Jan. 1, 2007, and March 31, 2007, Lawrence saw 147 petitions for foreclosure. During the same time period this year, Lawrence saw 273 petitions. In Methuen, the first three months of 2007 brought 47 petitions, while this year there were 77 in the same time frame. "There's very little you can do for renters," Melendes said. "It's painful. We're seeing it more." Melendes has clients who are in need of an apartment but don't have the money for expenses because of the short notice. Moving could cost $3,000 or more for a family if they need to pay first and last month's rent and a security deposit, according to Community Teamwork in Lowell. It's also a tough market for renters, according to a study by the National Low Income Housing Coalition called "Out of Reach," which looked at what households would have to earn in order to spend no more than 30 percent of their total income on rent, the recommended amount. A fair market two-bedroom apartment in Greater Lawrence costs $1,127. A resident needs an income of $45,000 to afford that apartment, the study said. The average income for local renters is $34,000. "It's hard to find an apartment. It's very difficult, and rents are high while incomes haven't changed. Affordability is the big problem we see every day," Melendes said. Community Teamwork has some resources for renters and also refers residents to a nonprofit legal service for help. "When folks come to us, we're trying to work with them to get them relocated and protect their rights," said Patty Puglisi, director of Community Teamwork's Housing Consumer Education Center. "The tenant doesn't have to leave until they are court-order evicted. We let them know they don't have to leave." But Puglisi said renters losing their homes is a "huge issue." "It's an inconvenience, and it's very expensive," Puglisi said. "It's challenging for them financially. There's a level of dishonesty (by the landlord) and they feel taken."
Finding a new home Oliveira and Sousa came to Methuen from Brazil to work as pastors at House of Prayer in Lowell, a 220-member Brazilian church, where they also are counselors. They joined the Methuen Adult Learning Center together to learn to speak English while their two children went to school in Methuen. "They made every effort to pay their taxes, they love living in Methuen and they're unfortunately forced to move out. That in itself is just not a good situation," said Pat Antoon, assistant director of Community Development in Methuen. "Keeping these hardworking people in Methuen — that would be great." Oliveira, 42, and Sousa, 51, went to the Methuen Adult Learning Center for help finding a new home. Speaking little English, they didn't know exactly what was happening, and why, when they got a sudden eviction notice. "They came in here so upset. We were worried they would be on the street," said center director Shirley Callan, who immediately began calling the Methuen Housing Authority and other groups to help Sousa's family find a new place to live. "They were crying. I think because they didn't speak the language well they were taken advantage of," Callan said. "We always try to help people. As important as they learn English is learning the system and way of the community." Sousa and Oliveira were worried about their two children, Issac, 8, and Sarah, 17, who were enjoying school in Methuen. The couple's older children, Kesia, 20, and Talita, 19, are both in college in Brazil. Kesia Oliveira, speaking by phone from Brazil, said she was nervous when her parents lost their home. "We were praying here," Kesia said. "They spent a week looking, and they couldn't find a house. It was really hard. I felt disappointed — the house they had was big and beautiful. But they had a grateful attitude. My dad always see the good side." After some calls and some searching the newspaper classified ads, Callan helped the couple find a duplex in Andover. The townhouse was smaller than their Methuen home, but it was move-in ready and in good condition. It was also about $100 a month more expensive. "We're very happy," Oliveira said. Issac and Sarah had to leave their schools in Methuen and transfer to Andover, but otherwise it has been a smooth transition into their new home. "I'm very happy with everything they're accomplishing," Kesia Oliveria said. "They are improving as people. They are giving value to the community. They've changed their vision and they're learning English. They are loving it in (the Methuen area)."
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