Levin Encourages Southeast Michigan Residents to Attend Free Seminar: Help for Homeowners

Levin will give opening remarks at seminar on Saturday, September 27 in Royal Oak

WASHINGTON – Michigan homeowners facing possible property tax or mortgage foreclosure are encouraged to attend a free seminar, Help for Homeowners, on Saturday, September 27, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Lila Jones Johnson Theater at Oakland Community College in Royal Oak. Senator Carl Levin, D-Mich., a co-sponsor of the seminar, will give opening remarks.

“Too many families in Michigan are in danger of losing the home where they have lived, raised families, and made memories,” Levin said. “This spring and summer I held a series of roundtable discussions across the state with organizations working to help homeowners facing foreclosure keep their homes. This seminar will offer homeowners the opportunity to hear directly from local, state and federal agencies about the resources available to help them save their homes, and I encourage all those interested to attend.”

Levin will welcome participants and give brief remarks during the opening session. Following that will be a short description of each of the four topics that will be offered. The one hour breakout sessions will be offered at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Participants may choose from among the following four topics:

• Avoiding Property Tax Foreclosure – Presented by Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne County Treasurers Offices. This panel will include a review of the timeline, process, hardship application, rules to prevent tax foreclosure, and what to do if you are behind on your mortgage property taxes.

• What a Housing Counseling Agency Can Do for You – Presented by Lighthouse Community Development, Mission of Peace, U-SNAP BAC and local HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Representatives of housing counseling agencies will explain the foreclosure process timeline and how a housing counseling agency can help. They will discuss options, strategies and resources for homeowners along the foreclosure continuum. Homeowners will learn about tools to help themselves as well as how to access resources from a housing counseling agency.

• Government Refinancing Options - Presented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Representatives will provide information on federal and state resources available to prevent foreclosure. Topics will include refinancing options and other foreclosure techniques, and general advice to consumers on avoiding foreclosure and seeking help.

• Avoiding Scams – Presented by the Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Participants will learn about some of the many scams that have cropped up in Michigan to take advantage of homeowners and ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming victims.

The sponsors of Help for Homeowners are U.S. Senator Carl Levin, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); Michigan State Housing Development Authority; Patrick M. Dohany, Oakland County Treasurer; Catherine McClary, Washtenaw County Treasurer; Raymond Wojtowicz, Wayne County Treasurer; the office of Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano; the office of Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence; the Detroit Alliance for Fair Housing; Mission of Peace; Lighthouse Community Development; USNAP-BAC/Detroit Hope; and Oakland Community College Royal Oak/Southfield Campus.