Lt. Governor Carney Announces Much Needed Funds For Foreclosure Prevention Counseling
Lt. Governor John Carney today announced that the State of Delaware has received over $300,000 to support Delaware’s foreclosure prevention counseling efforts. The much-needed boost will enable housing counseling agencies to provide more foreclosure and default counseling than ever before to area homeowners in danger of losing their homes.
The Delaware State Housing Authority was awarded $163,000 on behalf of three sub-grantees (Interfaith Community Housing, the YWCA Delaware and First State Community Action Agency). NCALL Research, Inc was awarded $45,000 and three other counseling agencies (Hockessin Community Center, Neighborhood House and HOND) advise that they were awarded a total of $95,000 through a national intermediary.
The Lt. Governor’s Foreclosure Task Force made increasing the capacity of housing counseling agencies a high priority in an interim report released last December. Through the experience and observations of several of its members and the testimony of three housing counselors, the Task Force learned that there are no housing counselors in the state specifically funded to deal with foreclosures. Meanwhile, caseloads are increasing here and around the country.
“The Task Force made it very clear that housing counseling is one of the top priorities,” the Lt. Governor said. “It is an appropriate and urgent priority. Housing counselors have seen a significant increase in activity since the foreclosure crisis began and this grant will go a long way to increasing their capacity to help Delaware’s homeowners.”
“The most important message I can send to homeowners in Delaware who are falling behind on their mortgage payments is to contact their mortgage company and a housing counselor. Far too many foreclosures happen because people don’t recognize their situation and wait too long to get help.”
The grant to support the Lt. Governor’s foreclosure counseling intervention efforts was provided by funds from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. Approved by Congress in the FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Bill, the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program is administered through a competitive application process by NeighborWorks(R) America, within guidelines defined by Congressional legislation. NeighborWorks America is an independent, Congressionally-chartered non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to provide access to sustainable homeownership and safe, affordable rental housing.
Additional information about foreclosure, including a list of housing counseling agencies, can be found on the State’s Foreclosure Information page at: http://portal.delaware.gov/foreclosureinfo.
Housing Counseling Agencies:
- First State Community Action Agency: 302-856-7761
- Hockessin Community Center: 302-239-2363
- Housing Opportunities of Northern Delaware: 302-429-0794
- Interfaith Housing of Delaware: 302-995-7428 / 302-424-4650
- NCALL Research: 302-678-9400 / 302-855-1370
- Neighborhood House: 302-652-3928
Other Foreclosure Resources:
- 1-888-995-HOPE
- State Bank Commissioner: 302-739-4235 / 577-6722
- DSHA: 302-739-4263 / 302-577-5001
