“Too many families have suffered from seedy mortgage lending practices and price gouging over the past several years. But working together, we’re taking action to help families in need get back on their feet. That’s why I’m glad to be working with Senator Blumenthal, the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, and community leaders to help Bridgeport families keep their homes and enhance their fiscal stability.” – Mayor Bill Finch
Bridgeport, Connecticut (August 18, 2014) – Tomorrow at 9:00AM in front of Bridgeport’s Margaret Morton Government Center (999 Broad Street), the office of Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and Senator Richard Blumenthal will join Connecticut Fair Housing Center and Homes Saved by Faith to announce free monthly classes for Fairfield County homeowners facing foreclosure.
These foreclosure prevention classes have been held in Norwalk, Bridgeport, and Stamford since February 2011, and have served more than 500 homeowners. The next class will be held in the OP/ED Conference Rooms at Morton Government Center in Bridgeport on Wednesday, August 20 from 6:00-8:30 p.m., and on the third Wednesday of every month after that. For up-to-date information on the location of the classes, please see the Center’s website: www.ctfairhousing.org .
Mayor Finch said: “Too many families have suffered from seedy mortgage lending practices and price gouging over the past several years. And, too many families are still struggling to make ends meet because of these heinous acts. But working together, we’re taking action to help families in need get back on their feet. That’s why I’m glad to be working with Senator Blumenthal, the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, and community leaders to help Bridgeport families keep their homes and enhance their fiscal stability.”
Senator Blumenthal said: “I remain dismayed and disappointed by banks who continue to drag their feet in providing timely loan modifications and other basic assistance to homeowners—simple accommodations that could help families stay in their homes and prevent the devastating financial and personal impacts of foreclosure. Foreclosure is a community crisis, harming not only the individual homeowners but their communities, who not only lose friends and neighbors, but are left to struggle with vacant and blighted homes.
Homeowners need to know help is available. I applaud the faith-based community, Homes Saved By Faith, the CT Fair Housing Center and the Department of Banking for their collaborative efforts over the past three years that have helped hundreds of homeowners remain in their homes. I encourage anyone fighting foreclosure to reach out.”
Department of Banking Commissioner Howard Pitkin said: “The Fairfield County Foreclosure Prevention Clinics are the result of a strong partnership between Homes Saved By Faith, the Connecticut Fair Housing Center, the Judicial Foreclosure Mediation Program and the Department of Banking. Through this valuable collaboration we help homeowners with their mortgage difficulties. I have a great deal of admiration for Rev. McCluster’s dedicated service to this community and his determination to help people stay in their homes. These clinics go a long way toward doing just that.”
The classes are open to any Connecticut homeowner having mortgage difficulties. A Connecticut Fair Housing Center attorney will teach homeowners how to represent themselves in court. Attendees will learn about resources available to homeowners facing foreclosure from the Department of Banking and a mediator from the state’s Judicial Branch. The resources include Connecticut Fair Housing Center’s Representing Yourself in Foreclosure: A Guide for Connecticut Homeowners. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with volunteer attorneys to discuss their situation.
For more information on the August 19 announcement, please contact Brett Broesder at 203-257-1049. For more information on the classes, including a complete schedule, please visit www.ctfairhousing.org or call Connecticut Fair Housing Center at (860) 263-0731.