¡EXITAZO! Evento Contra El Embargo (Foreclosure) En Minneapolis

Readers... don't panic... you're still at the MN Home Ownership Center's blog!  The Spanish headline is a response to the Center's "Borrower Workshop for the Latino Community" that was held at Plaza Verde in Minneapolis on Saturday January 9th.

'Exitazo' means HUGE SUCCESS... and the event was, indeed, a huge success:

• More than 160 people attended the event;
• Over a dozen foreclosure prevention counselors from local non-profit housing counseling agencies worked with homeowners to get their questions answered and start the counseling process
• Four lenders/servicers (Chase/JP Morgan; Freddie Mac; US Bank and Wells Fargo) assisted with outreach by mailing and calling consumers and sending loss mitigation staff to work with homeowners
• More than a dozen volunteers worked tirelessely to register homeowners and coordinate the event
• Mayor's from Minneapolis, St. Paul, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Plymouth, Richfield and Bloomington assisted with outreach by signing letters inviting homeowners to the event.
• The event was highlighted in two Spanish-speaking newspapers and two radio stations.  Graciela Mendez from Neighborhood Development Alliance was interviewed on "La Invasora" during the event.

Here are a few pictures from the event:

For additional pictures, feel free to visit the photoset at the Center's FlickR album.  Did you take pictures of the event?  We'd love to add them to our album.  Contact Ed Nelson.

The Center's outreach to the Spanish-speaking community is not limited to large-scale events like the workshop at Plaza Verde.  The Center has a Spanish-Language website here, and is constantly working with its network partners to improve information sharing with the Latino Community.  A complete list of all of our handouts/fact sheets in Spanish is available here.

Financial Help For Homeowners Displaced By Foreclosure

The Minnesota Home Ownership Center is pleased to announce a new pilot program that may assist families AFTER the foreclosure of their home with up to $2,500 to relocate and secure alternative housing.  Funding for this pilot program has been provided by the Saint Paul Foundation Community Economic Relief Fund.

For now, homeowners being displaced must have owned in Dakota, Ramsey or Washington Counties during this pilot program.  Depending on need, and availability of future funding, the program may be expanded.

Funds may be used for:

          • Moving expenses
          • Security deposits
          • Up to half of monthly rent for first three months
          • Utilities (gas, electric, water)


A fact sheet with additional program details and information, is available here.
 
 
Homeowners should contact the foreclosure counselors at the following organizations:

• Dakota County: Dakota County CDA
• Ramsey County: City of Saint Paul PED
• Washington County: Washington County HRA
• Spanish-Speaking homeowners (In the three counties): Neighborhood Development Alliance

Due to limited funding... these grants are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fox-9 Community Connection Focuses on Foreclosure

With the help of Roxanny Armendariz from the Neighborhood Development Alliance, homeowners Jose and Juana Gonzalez, along with their 4 children, were able to avoid foreclosure after Roxanny was able to mediate an affordable loan modification for the Gonzalez family.

Their story - including the difficulties the Jose and Juana experienced while trying to work with their lender is part of the focus of the most recent "Community Connection" segment on Fox-9.

For additional information about the segment... including links to an on-line interview with Roxanny about the work she does assisting clients, click here.

The segment will air again on Saturday, October 11th at 9 a.m on WFTC channel 29.

If you're facing a possible foreclosure... and struggling to work with your lender - - the Center's network of FREE, non-profit foreclosure counselors can help. To find your local counselor, click here.

Partner Organization, NeDA, highlighted in Twin Cities Daily Planet

One of the Center's partner organizations, the Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA) has been highlighted in an article published on August 10th in the Twin Cities Daily Planet entitled: "Flor's story: Fighting foreclosure in North Minneapolis".

NeDA has been working with a struggling homeowner, Flor Garcia, since May in order to help her understand her rights and responsibilities with her mortgage, as well as mediating on her behalf with her lender, Countrywide, to attempt to get her a loan modification that will be affordable for her.

Garcia, who learned about the foreclosure prevention services of NeDA through the Jewish Community Action, has become an advocate for other struggling Latino families... to let THEM know about the resources available through NeDA:

Garcia is working with her lender, Countrywide Financial (which has recently merged with Bank of America) to lower her payments and get her home out of foreclosure, and has also begun to volunteer with Jewish Community Action to help other Latino community members understand the help and resources that are available to them.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling to make their monthly mortgage payments... HELP IS AVAILABLE! Services are available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali. Don't delay, waiting limits your options. Find your local foreclosure prevention counselor, and other resources, here.

MPR: Foreclosure is Even Harder for Single Women

As part of Minnesota Public Radio's ongoing series on foreclosures in Minnesota, Annie Baxter has broadcast a piece on the unique challenges facing single-female headed households facing foreclosure.

The piece, which first aired on Tuesday, June 16th and is now available online, includes some stats (graphic) on homebuyers, an interview with Ed Nelson from the Center, as well as a client that was assisted by the Neighborhood Development Alliance (NeDA) in St. Paul. NeDA is a member of the Center's network of foreclosure prevention providers.

The on-line article, including a link to the recorded broadcast, is here.

Knowing what to do when facing foreclosure - or struggling with mortgage payments - can be confusing whether you're a family or a single-parent. In Minnesota, there is a statewide network of FREE, NON-BIASED, non-profit organizations, like the Neighborhood Development Alliance, that can assist you. If you're struggling with mortgage payments, click here to find the agency that's closest to you and will best be able to help.