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Agencies Come Together to Help Homeowners

Written on: July 6th, 2010 in Guest Posts, Helping Our Neighbors

Guest post from Anas Ben Addi, Director, Delaware State Housing Authority:

In June, Governor Jack Markell and Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) hosted the first Governor’s Foreclosure Summit. The purpose of the Summit was to bring together people on the front lines of the crisis affecting Delaware to recap efforts over the past few years, assess the current status of foreclosures, as well as to share ideas, programs and best practices that are available to help families in danger of losing their homes. 

Delaware historically averages 2,000 foreclosure filings per year.  In 2009, that number tripled to more than 6,000 and the trend continues on track through 2010.  In response, last year Governor Markell introduced a three-part plan to help mitigate the impact of foreclosure filings in Delaware consisting of three basic ideas: 

1. Creating connections between homeowners, housing counselors and servicers before the mortgage is in default;
2. Providing tools to help homeowners with emergency financing and long-term solutions; and,
3. Helping families and communities recover from the effects of foreclosure.

Since last June, DSHA, the Attorney General’s Office, the Office of the State Bank Commissioner, legislators, housing advocates, as well as a host of other partners throughout the state, have been busy implementing this plan.  We’ve been working together assisting housing counselors with getting the training they need and lobbying for grants to help the families and communities that have been affected by the foreclosure crisis.  Clinics, forums and seminars have been held throughout all three counties—bringing together the mortgage servicers and the homeowners to work out a plan to save their homes. 

Additionally, Delaware has several programs available to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure including:  Delaware Foreclosure Mediation Program, Delaware Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program and the Homeownership Grant Assistance Program.

It is important that homeowners be encouraged to take action as soon as they anticipate problems in paying their mortgage payment by contacting their lender, working with a HUD-approved housing counselor, and taking advantage of the Attorney General’s Foreclosure Hotline at (800) 220-5424. 

For more information about Delaware resources available to help families facing foreclosure, including the list of housing counseling agencies through the state, please visit www.deforeclosurehelp.org/.

Tags: Delaware, DSHA, foreclosure, Governor Jack Markell, housing