Posts Tagged ‘foreclosure prevention’

Hardest Hit Fund Plans Approved

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

The Department of Treasury announced today that it approved the plans for the first five Hardest Hit Funds states, including Michigan.  Below are some links to articles in today’s news with the announcements:

We’ll share more details about implementation as they become available, so stay tuned.

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Michigan to Share in $1.5 Billion for Homeowners

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

Last Friday, President Obama announced that $1.5 billion of Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds will be allocated to five states that have seen more than 20% declines in home prices: California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Michigan.

Articles about this announcement:

While more details about the program are still forthcoming, we know that Michigan will be asked to submit a plan to the Department of Treasury for spending a share of these funds.  As the statewide clearinghouse and unified voice to help keep families in their homes, the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force will be seeking your input on how to use these funds in the coming days, to ensure that Michigan takes full advantage of this opportunity to help more of Michigan’s families avoid foreclosure.

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MFPP Online Foreclosure Service

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

The Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Project’s foreclosure online inquiry/intake service is now up and running! View it here.

MFPP foreclosure

The MFPP web inquiry will provide intake, counseling, and advice services to households facing foreclosure that complete the on-line intake questionnaire.  A MFPP attorney will monitor the web intake daily and answer questions.  If the MFPP attorney believes that more extensive services are required for a client, the MFPP attorney will either refer the client to a housing counselor or to one of the legal services partner programs serving the geographic area where the property is located.  Please let homeowners in your networks know about this new online service.

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Alleviating Foreclosure the AmeriCorps Way

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

[This is a guest post by Kenita Nichols, a member of the Michigan Foreclosure Corps.]

Through the years, AmeriCorps has become synonymous with making a difference in the lives of those around you.  With such an encompassing vision for benevolence to all human beings, one could only expect an outpouring of support to come in the form of the Michigan Foreclosure Corps.

Michigan as a state was once highly identifiable by its link to the booming automotive industry.  In the recent economic downturn, Michigan has become the first state in 25 years to suffer an unemployment rate exceeding 15%.  Battered by the collapse of the auto industry, the stock market, and the housing crisis, many Michigan residents continue to be displaced.  Eviction or foreclosure pushes people into unfamiliar territory.

The Michigan Foreclosure Corps began serving on September 28, 2009 to address the problems foreclosed homeowners face.  In partnership with the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force, Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), and the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, 20 AmeriCorps members have been placed at nonprofit foreclosure counseling agencies across Michigan.  Each member will provide foreclosure prevention support services, community outreach, educational workshops, and innovative approaches to facilitate a decrease in the amount of foreclosed homes.

AmeriCorps Orientation

AmeriCorps Orientation, October 2009

The Michigan Foreclosure Corps serves both the urban and rural parts of Michigan; each non-profit foreclosure agency specializes in the needs respective to the areas they service.  AmeriCorps members possess the motivation and commitment to create social change through intensive community service.

Michigan Foreclosure Corps AmeriCorps members are also working with certified housing counselors.  Counselors work with homeowners and lenders to stop foreclosure and develop plans to put them back on the path of financial stability.  Understanding the value of home ownership, equity, and budgeting are vital tools the Corps will utilize to place families back on track in the state of Michigan.

Expand this post for a list of our service sites.

(more…)

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Posted in Foreclosure | 4 Comments »

HCAP Funding Announcement

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

[An announcement on HCAP funding from Lisa Nuszkowski]

HUD recently announced 2009-10 awards for its Housing Counseling Assistance Program (HCAP).  While Michigan saw an increase in the number of community-based counseling agencies receiving funding (from 8 agencies in 2008 to 14 agencies in 2009), the funding for counseling is still far under what is needed to serve Michigan’s homeowners (the increase in funding to these agencies went from $433,147 in 2008 to $582,387 in 2009).  What’s more, some communities such as Detroit received zero dollars in housing counseling funds from HUD.

In response to the concern that Michigan’s counseling agencies are not receiving their fair share of HCAP funding, the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force started meeting with members of Michigan’s Congressional delegation to inform them about the dire need for additional funding and how little HCAP funds community-based counseling agencies in Michigan receive, despite the extraordinary need.  The entire Michigan delegation signed a letter to HUD Secretary Donovan asking questions about how funds are awarded and how Michigan can access more federal resources.  We expect to have a response from HUD to share with the Task Force shortly.

We plan to continue meeting with members of the Michigan delegation to make the case that our agencies need adequate funding to meet the need for foreclosure counseling in Michigan.  Thus far, we have met with Senator Levin, Congressmen Dingell, Schauer, Camp, and Ehlers.  Please let Steve or I know if you have a relationship with your Congressperson or would be willing to help us set up a meeting with them.  We will also be participating in a strategic planning session with HUD later this month, where we will continue to deliver the message that Michigan needs more counseling resources.

A few important reminders and announcements:

  1. If you haven’t already, sign up today for Friday’s webinar on What You Need To Know About Michigan’s 90-Day Law. You can do so here.
  2. Detroit HOPE Now will be hosting a foreclosure prevention workshop on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 9am-2pm at Cobo Hall in Detroit.  If your agency is interested in participating, please contact Sheila Squier at ssquier@twcny.rr.com with the following: Agency Name, Volunteer Name(s), Contact Email and Phone Number, and Languages Spoken.
  3. Accidentally delete an email with important Task Force information?  My emails to the Task Force will be posted on CEDAM’s blog, so please visit to catch up on any information you may have missed.

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Capital Day Q and A

Monday, October 26th, 2009

CEDAM and the Asset Building Coalition (ABC) are hosting the second CEDAM/ABC legislative advocacy day on November 10.   The Michigan Foreclosure Task Force (MFTF) is also involved.  Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.

When and where is Capital Day? Capital Day will take place on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. We will start the day in the Speaker’s Library of the State Capitol building in Lansing.

Why should I come? If you are a CEDAM, ABC, or MFTF member, you should come to build your relationship with your legislators, to get great advocacy training, and to connect with other professionals in your field.  If you like architecture and history, you should also come for the bonus Capitol tour.

Why do my legislators want to meet with me? First, the whole reason they are in Lansing is to represent you and the people you serve – they want to know their constituents and the work in their districts. Second, by being a resource on community development, asset building, and/or foreclosure prevention, you will help your legislators provide better constituent services and make laws that support Michigan residents and communities.

How will I know what to do? Capital Day is meant to be a learning experience, and there will be several education opportunities:

  • Brief webinar on Monday, Nov. 2 (then posted online) about the legislative process.
  • Webinar on Tuesday, Nov. 3 (then posted online) about the policy issues.
  • Talking points on the policy issues for you and your legislators to reference.
  • Information on how to look up your legislators ahead of time.
  • Hands-on advocacy training at the event.

What will my meetings be like? You will be placed in a group with 3-5 other individuals and scheduled for 15-minute meetings with up to three different representatives and three different senators from your geographic region, in their offices.

What will I talk about? There will be four official policy issues for your legislative meetings: the Earned Income Tax Credit, predatory lending, foreclosure rescue scams, and the 2010 Census. You will have printed talking points to use, although you are encouraged to share your own experiences and resources regarding these issues too. Because you will be in a group, you will not need to speak about all four issues yourself.

How do I sign up? We are still looking for CEDAM, ABC, and Foreclosure Task Force members from the Grand Rapids and Flint areas and rural communities, but all members are welcome and the event is free. If someone from your organization is able to come, please call Katie today at 517.485.3588 or fill out this RSVP form.

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Posted in Asset Building, Events, Foreclosure, Policy | No Comments »

MI Delegation Letter to Sec. Donovan re HCAP Funding

Monday, October 5th, 2009

[For Task Force members, from Lisa Nuszkowski]

As you know, Task Force members and staff have been meeting with the Michigan Congressional Delegation to educate our elected officials about the foreclosure crisis in our state and advocate for additional support for foreclosure prevention and housing counseling.  Thus far, we have met with the offices of Senator Carl Levin, Congressman John Dingell, Congressman Dave Camp, Congressman Vern Ehlers, and Congressman Mark Schauer.  All were very receptive to our message, and share our concerns about Michigan getting its fair share of funding to fight the foreclosure crisis and stabilize our communities.

With the help of Congressman Dingell’s staff, the entire Michigan Delegation has signed on to a letter addressed to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan that outlines the dire need here in Michigan and asks a series of questions about the Housing Counseling Assistance Program (HCAP) funds and how they are allocated.  We expect to receive a response by the middle of October and will share this with the Task Force.  While these efforts may not affect HCAP funding awards for 2009, we hope that these efforts will result in a more thorough, thoughtful review of the HCAP program, and how it can be better tailored to meet the very real needs of communities across Michigan.

See the letter here.  If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Nuszkowski.

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Save the Date: 90-Day Pre-Foreclosure Negotiation Law Webinar

Monday, October 5th, 2009

On Friday, November 6, 2009, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm, Lorray Brown will host a webinar on the 90-day pre-foreclosure negotiation law.  For those of you who have not been able to attend one of Lorray’s presentations/trainings in person, this is an excellent opportunity to learn more about the implementation of this new law, as well as ask questions that you may have come across in dealing with clients who have received a 90-day notice from their lender or servicer.

SAVE THE DATE

90-Day Pre-Foreclosure Negotiation Webinar

Hosted by: Lorray Brown, Michigan Poverty Law Program and Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Project

Friday, November 6, 2009

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

New: Register here

For those of you unable to take part in the webinar, we will be recording and posting it online afterward.  More details will follow on this as well.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.

Lisa Nuszkowski
Co-Director
Michigan Foreclosure Task Force
313-452-1046
Email with our form

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Posted in Events, Foreclosure | 3 Comments »