Durham Responds to Continuing Housing Crisis With Foreclosure Workshop
Durham homeowners feeling the pinch of the national economic crisis can again seek help thanks to another City-sponsored foreclosure prevention and intervention workshop. Residents who are interested in purchasing their first home will also receive assistance and valuable information.
The City of Durham’s Departments of Neighborhood Improvement Services and Community Development, along with the Neighborhood Pride Alliance, are continuing with their public education campaign to encourage homeowners in financial trouble to seek assistance early.
On Saturday, February 21, 2009, the Durham Homeownership and Foreclosure Expo will take place from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Hillside High School Auditorium, located at 3727 Fayetteville Street, Durham. Registration for the expo will begin at 9:30 a.m.
This event will provide homeownership counseling, information on homeownership opportunities through the City, tips on how to prevent foreclosure, as well as assistance for Durham residents that are unemployed and facing foreclosure.
New for this year, the event will feature a special program for residents who have lost their jobs due to the present economy, such as through lay-offs, plant closings or company downsizings. No interest loans, provided through the N.C. Home Protection Program and Loan Fund and administered by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, can help Durham residents keep their homes while they search for new employment or receive new job training. Durham residents who qualify can receive up to 18 months of financial assistance, not to exceed $18,000 at zero percent interest, deferred for up to 15 years. Durham residents enrolled in a two-year training program can receive up to 24 months of financial assistance, not to exceed $24,000 at zero percent interest, also deferred for up to 15 years.
Partners in the Durham Homeownership and Foreclosure Expo also include the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and Department of Human Relations as well as the N.C. Housing Finance Agency, Durham JobLink Career Center, SunTrust Bank, Radio One, Triangle East Chapter of 100 Black Men, BB&T Bank, Regional Community Development Group, Durham office of Legal Aid of North Carolina, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
To pre-register for this event, or for more information, contact Cynthia Mebane-Watts, community relations coordinator with the City’s Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services, at (919) 560-1647, extension 265 or via e-mail at cynthia.mebane-watts@durhamnc.gov.
About the Neighborhood Pride Alliance
Approximately one year ago, the City’s Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services formed a task force to address various community issues facing Durham. As a result, the Targeted Neighborhood Revitalization Task Force was created to focus on three areas within Durham – North East Central Durham, South West Central Durham and the Southside/St. Theresa area. The task force selected as its name “Neighborhood Pride Alliance.” The Neighborhood Pride Alliance has three standing committees: Preservation, Education, and Development, Resource and Investment. Each one of these standing committees has chosen special projects to address in the Durham community. The Education Committee has selected as its first project to address home foreclosure increases in Durham.
About the Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services
The Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Durham’s residents by increasing access to safe, livable housing and by improving the city’s physical environment. For more information, visit the City’s Web site at www.durhamnc.gov/departments/nis.
