Protesters home in on passage of bill to cut foreclosures

``The test of the conference committee's will, demonstrators said, is whether it will include in the final version of the bill mandatory mediation and "preventing unnecessary vacancies" provisions. The former -- already adopted in 23 other states -- would require banks to meet face to face with homeowners in the presence of a neutral mediator to try to negotiate an alternative to foreclosure; the latter would require banks to allow people in foreclosure to remain in their homes as rent-paying tenants until there is a new buyer.''