EAST CHICAGO | Community organizations, representatives of elected officials and residents met Thursday morning to discuss programs available to help Northwest Indiana residents stay employed and in their homes.
The event was a part of a larger "National Day of Action" for organizations around the country to promote economic empowerment and to call on officials to report their efforts to help their constituents through difficult times.
Juan Andrade, president of the Hammond-based nonprofit Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance, said the local event's goal is to "bring awareness to this and call elected officials and inform our citizens to what's being done to create new jobs, to stop foreclosures and how to rebuild communities." The Northwest Indiana Reinvestment Alliance hosted the event at the United Steelworkers Local 1010 union hall.
Andrade said even though there are many sales at retail stores, and there are various incentives currently available for potential home buyers, Thursday's meeting was necessary to give voice to people plagued by the housing crisis and difficult financial situations.
Roy Evans, co-chairman of the Lake County Housing Taskforce, said there needs to be more cooperation and communication between north and south Lake County to better deal with problems within the housing industry. Evans said the free market system that America thrives on helped contribute to the speculative dealings that fostered subprime lending and disregard for housing-code enforcement.
"The thing that makes us strong, also makes us weak," Evans said. "It also fosters greed, and that's what got us here in the first place."
Hammond resident Danuschka Borsuk attended the event because she was seeking information on how to survive her difficult financial situation. Borsuk said she's unemployed and receives workers' compensation benefits, but she has to borrow money every month to pay her mortgage. Borsuk also said she has been recovering from two major surgeries since December and doesn't want to bear the stress of foreclosure.
"I know in my heart that there's a lot of people in the same situation," Borsuk said. Borsuk was inspired by stories told by others who sought help from community agencies during the event and said she would fight to keep her home.
Organizations and institutions such as Ivy Tech Community College, WorkOne and East Chicago's Jobs, Education and Training, or JET, Program had informational tables set up at the meeting. Speakers representing officials including Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, and East Chicago Mayor George Pabey offered assistance to residents via caseworkers in Congressional offices and through city programs.
