Foreclosure Prevention: Briefings for Florida Housing Counselors and Congressional Offices

HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings Jr. addresses the audience

Struggling homeowners in need of mortgage assistance count on HUD approved housing counselors as their guide and strongest allies in navigating the day-to-day complicated procedures to save their homes. Elected officials also field calls on a daily basis about the same topic. Several tools and evolving programs to help different homeowners in very different circumstances can get complex.

In order to provide a general update of the most current and available options and to promote communication among counselors and elected officials, HUD conducted foreclosure briefings in the jurisdictions of the four HUD Florida offices. The round of events took place in Tampa and Orlando on August 16, Miami on August 17, and in Jacksonville on September 12.

Foreclosure prevention

Ed Jennings Jr., HUD's Southeast Regional Administrator, Debra Robinson and Dan Rogers III, from HUD's Atlanta Homeownership Center and each HUD Florida Field Office Director welcomed David Westcott, Regional Administrator for Florida Housing Finance Corp; Sibyl Slade, Senior Regional Community Manager Federal Reserve Bank; and Kate Sharpe, Southeast Regional Manager for Fannie Mae to present their tools, latest statistics and answer questions. The Jacksonville event also had Carrie Davis, President of Wealth Watchers Inc.; Daryl Cooper, Director of Single Family Housing for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Wight Greger, Director of the Department of Housing & Neighborhoods in the City of Jacksonville as guest speakers.

At the four events representatives from housing counseling agencies asked questions, explained the challenges they face and exchanged ideas with congressional staff members and local, state and federal officials to better help their struggling homeowners. The Orlando office had an attendance of about 70 persons and the Tampa and Miami offices received 50 attendees each. Jacksonville hosted more than 100 persons in the audience.

Struggling homeowners need to pay special attention to who they reach out for help. Unfortunately at their most vulnerable moment they are being victimized by fraudulent offers. If you or a person you know are victims of loan modification scams, please report them: http://www.loanscamalert.org/ and Know it. Avoid it. Report it
The first step is to unfreeze and seek the right help. Watch the latest public service announcements campaign and please share it: TV ad on Making Home Affordable (www.makinghomeaffordable.gov/news/psa-campaigns/Pages/default.aspx)

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