United Way Supports Housing Counselors

We have two HUD-certified counselors (supported by the United Way) on staff who work with homeowners in danger of foreclosure to find solutions that are affordable for the homeowner and reasonable for the lender.  The process can be long, and often needs to be very creative to make it work.  In one case, we helped a daughter and mother who purchased a property together. The mother lived on the first floor and the daughter and her husband and two boys lived on the second floor, which included an attic “apartment.”  In December 2008 the daughter and her husband separated due to his drug abuse, leaving the daughter with reduced household income. The mother's hours were cut from 40 to 24 per week. In mid 2009 the mother moved in with the daughter and they tried to rent the first floor. We worked on the budget sheet, and were able to show that even without the anticipated rental income, they could service the mortgage and all other debt if the mortgage could be modified. In October 2009 the borrowers were served with the Summons and Complaint. We helped them file the Appearance and request Mediation through the courts (often the best way to reach a solution). Through mediation we continued to submit documents to support their ability to pay. In April 2010 the mortgage was modified, thus allowing the women to continue to own the property and provide stability for the children.  We've checked back with them, and they're keeping up the payments just fine!