and Families Fighting Foreclosure
Marin’s job and foreclosure rates alone tell of the coming storm. The county’s unemployment rate leaped to 6.8 percent in February, up from 5.4 percent in December, according to the most recent figures at the state Employment Development Department. That’s still the lowest of any county in California, and far below the state’s overall jobless rate of 10.5 percent. But it’s not expected to go down soon.
Just yesterday, I heard a knowledgable non-profit executive say that “many people think they brought this upon themselves.” The “they” she was referring to are homeowners facing foreclosure. As mentioned throughout this blog, 18 million homes are vacant in the U.S.; banks are walking away from them; squatters (sometimes the original owners) are living in them.
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns about housing market reforms and foreclosure prevention legislation. I recognize how important this issue is and appreciate hearing your thoughts.
Marin Family Action focuses on goal-oriented outcomes designed to increase financial stability for residents of Marin County, California. The process begins with financial literacy seminars and programs to establish or reestablishing credit worthiness.
Since June 2009, Marin Family Action has been deluged by people who are facing severe economic strife which may cause them to lose their homes through bank foreclosures. Many of these clients are senior citizens on fixed incomes. By working with attorneys, we have staved off more than 30 foreclosures. Our group has grown to more than 300 tax-paying, voting families representing all ethnic groups, all ages, and all professions. Many of these individuals and families are America’s new “poor,” in that they have not been able to replace jobs lost two or three years ago. Before finding MFA, our families were repeatedly turned down because they “didn’t meet the agency’s criteria,” and/or because these agencies do not work with families facing foreclosure.
