‘We just want to stay in our home’: Springfield residents protest decision to foreclose a woman’s house

SPRINGFIELD, MA. (WGGB/WSHM) - A rally tonight in Springfield to keep one local woman’s house from being foreclosed.

Dozens of Springfield residents came out to show their support for a local woman who’s fighting to stay in her house on Wednesday night.

“We just want to stay in our home,” said Barbara Williams.

Barbara Williams has lived in her Springfield house for more than a decade. After losing her job in 2016, Williams said Fannie Mae started the foreclosure process.

“I purchased my house in good faith,” said Williams. “I lost my job and I fell behind in my payments. Now I have regained my income, I have remarried. I raised my children here and I had one child left at home when my house was foreclosed on.”

Wednesday night, friends, neighbors, and community leaders gathered at her house protesting the efforts to take back Williams’ home.

The rally was organized by the Springfield No One Leaves organization, which fights to keep locals in their home following foreclosures.

“We’re always there to help,” said Sue Gamelli, one of the organizers. “We are not a service organization, what we teach you to do is to fight for yourself.”

For Williams, this house is more than just a place for her to live.

“This is where I want to be,” said Williams. “It’s where I’ve been. I’ve raised my family here. I have a lot of sentimental things that has happened here.”

Williams now is asking Fannie Mae to work with her so she can stay in the place she calls home.

“We want Fannie Mae to gives us a price,” said Williams. “We will buy the house to stay in our home. I want to stay. I don’t want to stay for free. I want to stay and pay my way.”

Western Mass News also reached out to Peter Guaetta, the attorney representing Fannie Mae, as well as Fanny Mae. Both declined to comment at this time.

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