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May 2nd - Scottsdale Prevention Event

The Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force was established to reduce residential foreclosures in Arizona and the impact of foreclosure on families and communities.

OBJECTIVES:
• Prevent 4,000 foreclosures in 2008.
• National Ad Council ad run 6 times per week in Arizona radio, TV, and print.
• Generate 12 press releases and public interest stories.
• Coordinate 6 education/outreach town hall meetings.
• Establish partnerships with cities and counties to assist with outreach efforts.
• 6,000 calls to the HOPE Hotline.
• MOU’s with HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies offering certified intervention counseling.
• Offer training sessions for counselors, two of which will be Foreclosure Prevention Certification Classes.
• Promote educational materials to assist consumers and partners.
• Create a Foreclosure Prevention website that functions as a communication mechanism for counselors to exchange best practices, for impacted home-owners to gain credible information about help, and for the community at-large to understand the impact of foreclosure and how to avoid it.
• Establish a tracking system to measure impact and develop at least quarterly reports to measure progress of the initiative.

There are four subcommittees charged with meeting the task force goals:

• Education
• Outreach
• Funding
• Political & Regulations

Membership is open to any interested organization/individual.
Contact: Patricia Garcia Duarte at 602 258-1659 xt 205 or by email

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Arizona Governor announces local toll-free help line

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 29, 2008

“MORTGAGE TROUBLE? DON’T DELAY. CALL TODAY.”
Governor announces local toll-free help line

PHOENIX - Governor Janet Napolitano announced today the latest effort in a series of state initiatives to better serve Arizona families facing foreclosure. Homeowners who are either delinquent on their mortgage or face foreclosure now have a new, dedicated 24/7 toll-free help line to reach a local Arizona foreclosure counselor: 1-877-448-1211.

“In response to a problem that is increasingly affecting so many Arizona families we are launching this new toll free number in an effort to urge homeowners to not delay – to call today,” said Governor Janet Napolitano. “Troubled Arizona homeowners now have a phone number that will connect them to specialized services right here in Arizona. We urge anyone who may be at risk of foreclosure to call a local foreclosure counselor today.”

The Arizona foreclosure help line, made available through a $1.3 million federal grant, will be a vital link between families facing a housing crisis and access to free foreclosure counseling appointments. The Arizona Department of Housing is contracting with Community Information and Referral Services to staff the call center which will connect homeowners to a local, certified foreclosure counselor.

Other state efforts to address the mortgage foreclosure crisis in Arizona include:
• Expanding the Arizona Department of Housing’s Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention program (from $2.75 million to $4.2 million) and providing an additional $500,000 to support additional outreach in highly-impacted areas
• Additional foreclosure counselors being trained across the state
• Foreclosure Prevention Workshops for at-risk homeowners throughout Arizona
• Leadership in the Arizona Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, which brings together 200 organizations, lenders, community leaders and government representatives to coordinate outreach and education efforts to assist homeowners facing foreclosure

Tips on helping to avoid foreclosure can be found at www.azgovernor.gov.

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The Arizona Foreclosure Task Force was created to reduce residential foreclosures in Arizona and the impact of foreclosure on families and communities. Helping Reduce and Prevent Residential Foreclosures for Communities and Families.