The Home Savers Campaign is a coalition of stakeholders who have come together to fight the resurgence of predatory agreements in the form of rent-to-own, lease to purchase, contract for deed, and similar land purchase instruments that are too often designed to exploit lower-income and working families desperate to obtain affordable housing and eventual homeownership.
In talking to hundreds of victims of such schemes we have found an almost universal feeling of exploitation from the families. People have been misinformed about their contracts, the terms, the duration, the interest rates, and their prospects for eventual ownership. The campaign seeks to work with families so that they understand what they have signed and their rights under the laws where they live.
Often in violation of local and state laws, families are frequently deceived about the condition of the properties and whether the “as is” nature of their homes transfers the responsibility from the owner (seller) to themselves for the certificate of occupancy and habitability of the property.
Some examples are:
- families find themselves without plumbing or electricity
- there is no furnace in the winter
- ceilings and stairways cave in, sometimes injuring family members
- doors and locks often did not exist
- sewer lines are clogged or leaking
- family members are lead poisoned
- homes are demolished or offered for sale, while the contract holders are living in these houses under an agreement
The Home Savers Campaign seeks to work with families and local and state jurisdictions to ensure that the properties are safe and habitable before the agreement is signed and the family has moved into the home.
The Home Savers Campaign is a coalition of the willing, and we invite interested organizations and individuals to join us in fighting and reforming these predatory practices that are cynically warping the desperate need of families for housing and their hopes of eventual ownership.
Check out our Legislation and Ordinances page to see the legislation that currently exists and what our model legislation is.