|
The following is a list of agencies, agency contact information, and the services each agency
provides for foreclosure prevention and intervention.
Columbus Housing Partnership
562 East Main Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 221-8889
www.chpcolumbus.org
- Mortgage Assistance Program
- To qualify, the homeowner must earn 50% or less of the area’s median income
for a family of their size. CHP has provided $79,000 in mortgage assistance to
about 46 households.
- Counseling
- Post-Purchase and Budget Counseling.
- Mortgage Default Counseling - goal is to provide families with the information and tools necessary to maintain their home by identifying the cause of default or delinquency, identifying intervention strategies, and reviewing budgeting skills.
Agency will work with the bank and other creditors to try to save the home.
- Reverse Mortgage Counseling – for individuals over 62. See details on last page.
- Classes
- Home Maintenance & Repair
- Financial Fitness
- Homebuyer Education
Columbus LEADS
1808 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43203
Phone: (614) 252-2799
- Mortgage Assistance Program
- FEMA program offered by the Lutheran Social Services will pay the
mortgage payment of customers who are no more than one payment behind
on their mortgage, are at or below 125% poverty guideline, have a verifiable
reason why they were not able to pay their mortgage, and have not used the
program within the last three program years.
- Programs
- Summer Cooling is a program that runs June 1-August 21 and is available to
individuals who are at or below 150% poverty level. Individuals over 60 years
of age and at or below 150% of poverty automatically qualify for the program
that will make a payment on their electric bill and/or give a voucher for an air conditioning
unit if the individual does not have air-conditioning. People
under 60 must prove that they have some type of respiratory disease in order
to qualify.
- The Emergency Winter Heat program assists people who are at or below
150% of poverty faced with disconnection of their electric or gas.
Columbus Urban League
Housing Services Department
788 Mount Vernon Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43203
Phone: (614) 257-6300 ext 300 / Fax: (614) 257-6316
www.cul.org
- Counseling
- Provides counseling, information and referrals regarding homeownership,
housing discrimination and rental housing relations
- Classes
- Conducts education and outreach activities related to the rights and
responsibilities of home seekers and housing providers
- Advocacy
- Conducts advocacy and networking activities within local, state and national
housing groups, financial institutions, housing providers and others in the
housing industry, regarding homeownership issues such as: predatory mortgage
lending; discrimination; foreclosures; and other housing related topics.
- Research
- Research and develops the annual report on the mortgage lending activities of
the major financial institutions Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data
Consumer Credit Counseling of Columbus
4500 East Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43213
Phone: (614) 552-2222
(800) 355-2227
Fax: (614) 552-4800
www.cccservices.com
- Counseling
- Reverse mortgage (over 62) – determine whether taking out a reverse
mortgage would have financial benefits including foreclosure prevention.
- Pre-Purchase – learn about home buying process and homeowner
responsibilities.
- Post-Purchase – helps new homeowners avoid foreclosure after purchase.
- Mortgage Default Counseling - goal is to provide families with the information
and tools necessary to maintain their home by identifying the cause of default
or delinquency, identifying intervention strategies, and reviewing budgeting
skills. Agency will work with the bank and other creditors to try to save the
home.
- Debt Management Program – helps individuals restructure their unsecured
debts (credit cards, medical bills) and get payments reduced so more money
can be directed to the mortgage payment.
Equal Justice Foundation
88 East Broad Street Suite 1590
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 221-9800
Fax: (614) 221-9810
www.equaljusticefoundation.com
The Equal Justice Foundation is a private, non-profit law firm that may provide legal
representation for low-income persons in cases involving systemic, abusive and unfair
lending practices causing default and foreclosure.
FIRSTLINK
195 North Grant Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: Information (614) 221-2255
Administrative (614) 221-6766
www.firstlink.org
FIRSTLINK is an information referral service that connects Central Ohio residents with
basic services, such as emergency food, housing, clothing and health care. FIRSTLINK
can direct individuals facing foreclosure to local agencies which may help with mortgage
payments or provide counseling services. The agency’s call center provides referrals 24
hours a day, seven days a week.
Franklin County Treasurer
373 South High Street 17th Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 462-3438
Fax: (614) 462-7167
www.franklincountyohio.gov/treasurer
Property taxes can contribute to foreclosure, particularly when the taxpayer is misinformed
of the amount.
- Payment Options to Help Budget Current Taxes
- Direct Debit - allows you to authorize the Treasurer to debit your checking or
savings account to prepay your real estate taxes automatically on a monthly,
annual, or semi-annual basis. NEW!! If you choose the monthly option,
interest earned will be credited to your next tax.
- Budget Pay - Lets you make monthly payments by check or cash to better
budget for your next tax bill. Each month you decide how much to pay!
- E-Check – Pay online without fees.
- Credit Card: Pay by credit card at the above link or by calling 877-278-2270;
however a 2.75% fee will be charged by the transaction processing
company.
- Payment Plans to Pay Delinquent Taxes
- Stop penalties and interest from accruing! Enter into a payment plan
whereby you can have up to 60 months to pay your delinquent taxes as well
as your current taxes in convenient monthly installments.
Homes on the Hill CDC
12 South Terrace Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43204
Phone: (614) 275-4663 ext. 104 or ext. 105
www.hoth-cdc.org
- Counseling
- Homebuyer Education including credit counseling
- Mortgage Default COunseling- goal is to provide families with the information and tools necessary to maintain their home by identifying the cause of default or delinquency, identifying intervention strategies, and reviewing budgeting skills. Agency will work with bank and other creditors to try to save home.
- Post-Purchase and Budget Counseling
- Mortgage Assistance Program
- To qualify, the homeowner must earn 80% or below the area's median income for a family of their size and live in a home. Applicant must demonstrate that they are financially able to maintain the home in the future.
HUD
Approved housing counselor listing by Zip Code, Phone: (800) 569-4287.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/states/ohio.txt
Job & Family Services PRC
Franklin County Department of Job & Family Services
Phone: (614) 462-4000
Fax: (614) 462-6451
Call for the office nearest you.
www.franklincountyohio.gov/commissioners/jafs
- Mortgage Assistance Program
- Prevention, Retention, and Contingency program provides one time financial
assistance to aid for emergency situations. Applicants must have a minor child,
be at or below 165% of poverty, and have 30 days worth of income.
- Individuals who qualify for PRC are eligible for up to $1,500 in financial
assistance.
- The financial assistance can be used toward a person’s mortgage as long as
the individual has not used PRC toward a rental or any other housing
expense in the past two years.
- The financial assistance can not be used toward a down payment
Legal Aid Society of Columbus
40 West Gay Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 241-2001
www.columbuslegalaid.org
May provide assistance to foreclosure incidents that involve predatory lending. Legal Aid
also offers some literature about foreclosure.
Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
285 East Main Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215-5272
Phone: (614) 233-4181
Fax: (614) 228-2189
www.morpc.org
- Counseling
- Loss Mitigation Counseling
- Provided to find the cause of the default.
- Staff will contact lender on client’s behalf to find a solution.
- Post-purchase counseling may be recommended as a follow up.
- Classes- some provide a one-on-one counseling session
- Post-Purchase Classes
- Offered to clients who have received down payment assistance.
- May be offered in conjunction with default counseling.
- Pre-Purchase Classes – May be required for down-payment assistance and
by some lenders. Certificates are awarded for those who complete the four-session
course that is mandatory for all participants in the LifeSkills program.
- Understanding Your Credit/Budgeting and Money Management
- Home Inspection and Homeowner’s Insurance
- Realtor/Mortgage and Predatory Lending
- Home Maintenance/Repair
- QuickStart - This program is designed to counsel homebuyers who did not
seek out a counseling agency prior to signing a sales contract or becoming
approved by a lender. May be required for down-payment assistance and by
some lenders.
- Maintaining a Budget after Homeownership
- Preventing Foreclosure
- Predatory Lending/Refinancing
- What to Expect at Closing
****Columbus Housing Partnership, Homes on the Hill, Consumer Credit Counseling of
Columbus, and Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission are all HUD and AHECTI Certified
Housing Counseling Agencies****
Reverse Mortgage
A “reverse” mortgage is a loan against a person’s home that they do not pay back for as
long as they live in the home. To be eligible for most reverse mortgages, you must own
your home and be 62 years or age or older to qualify. The mortgage allows the
homeowner to turn the value of their home into cash. They loan need not be repaid until
the homeowner moves from the home or passes away. The Columbus Housing
Partnership and Consumer Credit Counseling of Columbus can help individuals
determine if a reverse mortgage is right for them before these individuals contact lenders.
There are several Columbus lenders who offer reverse mortgages including: Mortgage
Corporation of Ohio, Tina Kuba: (614) 431-3499 Wells Fargo, Keith Turner: (614) 888-0652; Financial Freedom, Bill Foley: (614) 336-8771.
Veterans Service Commission
250 West Broad Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Phone: (614) 462-2500
Fax: (614) 462-2505
www.franklincountyohio.gov/vets/
- Mortgage Assistance Program
- Provides mortgage assistance to veterans in an amount determined by the
Commission. It is most beneficial for veterans to apply prior to actual
foreclosure action as attorney fees are not eligible for funding. No requirements
other than the applicant is a veteran.
|
Whom to Call 
