City/county partnership to offer counseling to stave off
foreclosure
With more than 600 local properties either in default, up for
auction or bank-owned, city and county housing officials are
teaming up to provide foreclosure prevention counseling for
residents of San Benito County.
City/county partnership to offer counseling to stave off foreclosure
With more than 600 local properties either in default, up for auction or bank-owned, city and county housing officials are teaming up to provide foreclosure prevention counseling for residents of San Benito County.
The city of Hollister’s Redevelopment Agency announced last week that it is teaming up with the county’s Housing and Economic Development Division on the program, which will begin Sept. 21.
The RDA is partnering with Neighborhood Housing Services Silicon Valley and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Counseling Agency to provide bilingual services to locals.
“The public’s concerns in regards to the ongoing residential vacancy and foreclosure issues throughout our community has expedited the need to provide the mortgage foreclosure prevention housing counseling services,” Francisco Casas and C.J. Valenzuela said jointly in a press release. Casas is the RDA’s projects coordinator and Valenzuela is the county’s housing programs coordinator.
The effort to stave off foreclosures by helping distressed homeowners figure out a way to keep their homes is prompted by the number of people in danger of losing their residences.
According to Realtytrac.com, as of late July there were 142 pre-foreclosures (notices of defaults); 250 auction properties (trustee sales); and 257 bank-owned properties in San Benito County.
The housing counselors will provide information on rights and responsibilities for at-risk homeowners and the housing services agency will provide a series of foreclosure prevention and homebuyer education workshops to the public.
Interested residents can contact the agency directly at 757-3778 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to set up an appointment. The agency will also provide on-site foreclosure prevention counseling services on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the RDA, 550 Monterey St. in Hollister.
The city/county partnership has led to several housing programs and services, including a first-time homebuyer down payment assistance program and the Hollister Neighborhood Stabilization Program, through which the RDA acquires, rehabilitates and re-sells abandoned or foreclosed properties to low- or moderate-income residents.
