Cuyahoga County

How to Get Help: 211

Campaign Details:
Beginning March 30, 2006 the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners, along with the Cuyahoga County Treasurer's Office, launched a Countywide foreclosure prevention program to make counseling help available to the thousands of homeowners who need advice or education about their home loans, are in danger of defaulting on their payments, or face foreclosure.

The program will enable residents who need help or have questions about foreclosure issues to get assistance by contacting The United Way's 'First Call for Help' Line (accessed in Cuyahoga County by dialing 2-1-1). Trained 211 referral specialists will direct callers to one of nine local non-profit agencies that can assist them with their specific problem.

Counselors will show current and prospective borrowers how to make good decisions, repair credit reports, refrain from making poor refinancing deals on existing homes and identify loan products that are most likely to lead to mortgage defaults and foreclosure.

Components of this strategy include:

• Educate homeowners before they enter into inappropriate refinancing loans
• Engage delinquent mortgage borrowers early so they never reach foreclosure
• Counsel homebuyers before and after their purchase to avoid predatory loans
• Negotiate workout agreements on behalf of delinquent borrowers to save homes
• Intervene with civil and criminal legal action against predatory lenders
• Advocate for legislative reform to discourage inappropriate home lending

Partners: