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Foreclosure Prevention

Whether you are a homeowner, a renter, a landlord or a company, the growing foreclosure rates are affecting us all. To protect children and families from experiencing the trauma of foreclosures, United Way is working to provide counseling and education for those who are at risk for foreclosure, refinancing for those going through the foreclosure process, and supports to advance our community's response to the foreclosure crisis.

Home Ownership Preservation Partnership

United Way is working to prevent foreclosures in our community through the Home Ownership Preservation Partnership - a public/private initiative that seeks to develop and administer creative and effective homeownership retention strategies and resources for homeowners at-risk. Through counseling and direct financing this initiative is expected to prevent foreclosure for up to 180 households over a two year period.

Participating entities include: Urban Edge, Citizens Bank, The City of Boston, Neighborhood Housing Services of America and the Lawyers Clearing House.

Components include:

  • Preventing foreclosure through counseling, negotiation/mediation and/or emergency financial relief.
  • Preventing foreclosure through re-financing.

Foreclosure Prevention Education

In 2008, a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Office of Consumer Affair's Division of Banks enabled United Way to invest more than $400,000 in a large scale expansion of foreclosure prevention services for Massachusetts families. The investment will enable more than 50 percent of the individuals and families served through United Way partner agencies to gain the financial education and counseling they need to work out an affordable mortgage and remain housed.

In recognition of the fact that foreclosures have affected communities throughout Massachusetts, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, United Way of Greater New Bedford, and United Way of Greater Plymouth County are collaborating through this investment to ensure that services reach individuals, families and agencies throughout the region. The collaboration includes an investment of $100,000 to better equip Mass 2-1-1, the state’s free information and referral hotline, to respond to calls from residents at-risk or in the process of foreclosure. Efforts will run through the calendar year. Agencies that received foreclosure prevention grants.