Haunted Houses
As the warm summer breeze drifts into a cool autumn air and as the endless hours of daylight are interrupted by the darkness of night, we know that fall is upon us.
Fall. It’s a time of change, of preparing for the winter months to come. It’s also a time when a very important question lingers on every child’s mind…what am I going to be for Halloween??!
I can still vividly remember how excited I used to be when Halloween time rolled around. It was the one time of the year when it was expected to put on a mask and become someone or something else. My friends and I used to chart out the houses we knew would give out the best candy and after hours of ringing doorbells and yelling “trick or treat”, we’d walk home exhausted with a pillowcase full of goodies that would last us forever (okay, more like one week but you get the picture!)
Nowadays, however, many children can’t look forward to Halloween with the same anticipation as I did. Because as they chart out the course of houses whose doorbells they wish to ring, no one will be there to answer them when they yell “trick or treat.”
Due to the current economic landscape and multiple other complexities, many landlords and tenants are faced with the traumatic reality that the place that they once called “home” will soon be nothing more than a “house.”
And they are not alone. Last year, more than 700 properties in Boston fell into foreclosure, the consequence of which has lasting effects on not only the children and families involved, but also the neighborhoods in which they reside.
United Way is working to provide counseling and education for those who are at-risk for foreclosure, refinancing for those going through the foreclosure process and supports to advance our community's response to the foreclosure crisis.
We launched the Home Ownership Preservation Partnership to develop and administer creative and effective homeownership retention strategies and resources for homeowners at-risk. And we’re working diligently with other community organizations to provide families with the counseling and education they need to help them stay in their homes.
This is certainly no easy task. Due to the complexity of the issue, there is no doubt that it will take a lot of time and effort. But for me, it’s all worth it. It’s worth it to help keep families safe and in their homes. So that when children start to ring doorbells this October 31st, there will be someone there to answer them.
knock knock anybody there?
Thank you for bringing this perspective of foreclosure to the forefront.
My family was born and raised in an urban area which was once vibrant and flourishing but over the past 10-15 years the area has gone down hill with crime and poverty.
I remember how my grandparents would tell stories of their "neighborhood" and how the community and businesses would get together during Halloween and make sure that the children of the area had the same "trick or treat" experience as the children in the suburbs had. (Many grocery stores and small family stores would provide candy for those who would dressed in costume)
Thank you again Sarah, for showing this cartoon and writing this blog. It will definitely make me stop and think on October 31st about how foreclosure has not only effected the family of the foreclosured but also those adorable children who will be knocking on their neighbor's door awaiting a piece of candy that might never come.
Post new comment