BY ED FELIEN

Cheri Honkala is back in town.  And she’s up to her old tricks. Twenty years ago Cheri was taking over HUD homes that were boarded up and vacant to house homeless people.  She left town for a while, but now she’s back, and she and the Minnesota Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign are taking over foreclosed houses and helping people who have owned the homes to stay in them. Their actions started Saturday.

In a statement issued Thursday, they said, “In the spirit of love the Minnesota Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign is filling empty houses with homeless people this Valentine’s Day. The campaign is calling for a moratorium on sheriff sales, foreclosures and evictions until the affordable housing crisis in the Twin Cities is dealt with. Until then MN PPEHRC will be doing the work of placing people in homes.

‘Lets fill the homes we have instead of throwing people on the streets,’ says National Organizer, Cheri Honkala, ‘That’s what real love is about this Valentine’s Day.’ “With 75 percent of houses on some streets in North Minneapo-lis already foreclosed and sitting empty, and the jobless and homeless populations on the rise, MN PPEHRC has decided that Minnesotans cannot wait to be housed.” They also said, “Household supplies are needed. Extra blankets, tables, chairs and food are needed. Bus cards are needed as well. If you have any of these items please call our office at 612-821-2364 or drop them off at 310 E. 38th St., Room 126. Thanks for your support. For Valentines Day we intend to keep families and couples together.”

ACT NOW! WE ARE THE REVOLUTION WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!