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ESOP Partners with Area Suburbs to Help Homeowners

Two additional suburbs will hold local intake sessions, in partnership with ESOP (Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People), to provide FREE foreclosure prevention counseling to area homeowners. This initiative builds on ESOP’s track record of making its highly successful foreclosure counseling practices more readily available in Cuyahoga County suburbs.  ESOP already provides intakes in South Euclid and Lakewood.

Starting Feb. 4, 2010, trained counselors from ESOP will also set up shop once a week in Bedford Heights and Garfield Heights. Please see below for more detailed information on the time and location of these new intake sessions. Homeowners do not have to be city residents but MUST call or email ESOP to set up an appointment.

Bedford Heights, Every Wednesday at 6 p.m.
Jimmy Dimora Community Center, 5615 Perkins Road, Bedford Heights, OH 44146

Garfield Heights, Every Thursday at 1 p.m.
Word of Righteousness Family Life Center, 13455 Dressler Avenue, Garfield Heights, Ohio 44125

To make an appointment or for more information, please call ESOP at 216-361-0718 or email .

ABOUT ESOP:
ESOP is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency. ESOP’s success stems from partnerships with various lenders and servicers, allowing for easy negotiation of loan modifications. ESOP has been nationally and internationally recognized for its campaigns against predatory lenders and for its success obtaining mortgage resolutions that keep families in their homes.

Community Response

” As a foreclosure prevention counselor for several years assisting almost 1,000 residents throughout the region, I greatly appreciate efforts made to extend the knowledge and understanding around foreclosure to homeowners. WVIZ PBS and WCPN 90.3 ideastream have worked relentlessly to extend these efforts by featuring such programming as “Facing the Mortgage Crisis”. Their continued attention and focus have allowed organizations like ours to reach more homeowners, and in turn provide more assistance to those in need. Further, such broadcasts and coverage have established a central collection point of resources and developed the understanding around the foreclosure crisis in Northeast Ohio.

Darren T. Hamm

Housing Sustainability Counselor

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland

Community Response

"First and for most thank you and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for focusing on this crisis and more importantly incorporating us the local leaders to help in bringing the message to our communities.

During the radio and TV blitz regarding NACA – my office personally received several phone calls and emails regarding the same statement, “IS IT TRUE? CAN THEY HELP ME?”…

When speaking with individuals it seemed that WVIZ, NPR, Ideastream has great credibility! 

THE IDEASTREAM WEBSITE was really good.  Easy for people to manipulate with simple instructions – this was important …

I believe with all my heart that you gave ESOP great credibility and forged partnerships.  We now have ESOP in our building once a week – anyone from Cuyahoga County can make an appointment and meet right here! 

211 – The most important number in the county!  The United Way phone line can help so many people in so many ways!  If there is one thing I hope you continue to do is support promoting it on a regular basis.  Because – the foreclosure crisis is now hitting the outer rings … They need to know where to go for help and your media could be their best link to information in the most non-embarrassing way.

Georgine Welo
Mayor, South Euclid

CSU Land Bank Forum

A public forum on the new Cuyahoga County land bank will take place Thursday, November 19 from 8:30 am until Noon at Cleveland State’s University’s Levin College of Urban Affairs. The session is free. Call 216-523-7330 to register.

Community Responds to Facing the Mortgage Crisis

View some community testimonials about the ideastream series Facing the Mortgage Crisis.

Frontline - Close to Home

FRONTLINE producer Ofra Bikel (The Hugo Chavez Show, When Kids Get Life) chronicles how one unlikely neighborhood—New York’s Upper East Side—is faring in this recession through the stories of the people who she’s come to know at the hair salon she’s frequented for the past 20 years. The film reveals salon owner Deborah Boles’ struggles to stay afloat, her sister’s risk of imminent foreclosure on her Florida home and the various clients whose lives intersect at this New York City salon—from well-to-do bankers to struggling actors—each with a story to tell about how they’re getting by in these turbulent times. Aired on WVIZ/PBS Tuesday, October 27 at 10pm.

Frontline -The Warning

In the devastating aftermath of the financial meltdown, FRONTLINE uncovers important clues about why it happened—and who could have prevented it.  Program aired October 20, 2009

ESOP 2009 Gala Celebration Dinner

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People Celebration Dinner takes place Thursday, October 8 from 6-8pm at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 777 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Keynote Speaker will be Alyssa Katz, renowned author of “Our Lot: How Real Estate Came to Own Us”. For ticket information call 216.361.0718.

The 19th Annual Fair Lending Conference

On Friday, October 30th a conference at Trinity Cathedral entitled Confronting the Crisis-What works? will provide information about foreclosures and the challenges to fair lending. Contact Bromley & Associates at 216.410.3879 for more information. There is a cost to attend this event.

HouseMender University: Free Advice from Experts

Home Repair Resource Center brings you Reducing Energy Consumption: Eneregy Star Ratings and Energy Tax Credits. A free session on Thursday, October 29th at 7pm at Cleveland Hts. - University Hts. Main Library, 2345 Lee Road, Cleveland Hts. Reservations are requested call 216.381.9560.

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit, and the Era of Predatory Lending

Home Repair Resource Center presents a documentary from James Scurlock. Watch “Maxed Out” and learn how the modern financial industry really works. This free showing takes place Thursday, October 8 at 7pm at the Cleveland Hts. - University Hts. Main Library, 2345 Lee Road, Cleveland, Ohio, call 216.381.6100 for more information.

Questions and Answers about Foreclosure

The Home Repair Resource Center offers a free presentation on Tuesday, October 13th at 6:30pm at the Cleveland Hts.- University Hts. Main Library, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Hts.

Marketplace Money Broadcast Live from Cleveland

Public Radio’s MarketplaceMoney produced its show from 90.3 WCPN studios last week (9-19) and included pieces on Cleveland’s foreclosure crisis and internet home sales.

Foreclosures, a driver of recession, eases off across Patchwork Nation

From The Christian Science Monitor

90.3 WCPN Ideastream’s Mhari Saito Earns 2009 Ohio Society of Professional Journalist Award

90.3 WCPN ideastream reporter Mhari Saito is among those being recognized for their outstanding work as part of this year’s Ohio Society of Professional Journalist Awards.  Mhari earned a First Place, Best Enterprise Story - “The Foreclosure Crisis” in the Radio Large category. The Ohio SPJ honors the best of print, broadcast, online, trade and college journalism throughout the state.

Once Upon A Job

Nightly Business Report Presents: Once Upon A Job, Tues. 9-1, Wed. 9-2, Thurs. 9-3. Correspondent NBR Midwest Bureau Chief Diane Eastabrook. This is perhaps the toughest job market since the Great Depression. More than six million Americans are drawing unemployment benefits and countless others have seen their benefits run out. NBR Midwest Bureau Chief Diane Eastabrook introduces us to the faces behind those figures.

September is “Save Our Homes Month”

The Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas has begun a month-long campaign and is hosting many events to get the word out about foreclosure mediation, and resources available.

‘Short Payoffs’ Help Ohioans Keep Homes

In Ohio, foreclosure rescue funds were intended to help borrowers become “current” on mortgage payments. Now the funds are being coupled with whatever some mortgage holders can afford to complete a buyout of their loan obligations — sometimes for as little as 10 cents on the dollar. Mhari Saito reports for WCPN.

Michigan Radio: What Detroit Can Learn From Cleveland

Jennifer Guerra reports for Michigan Radio on the mortgage crisis in Detroit by looking at what is happening in Cleveland.

Checking for Possible Fraud with Foreclosure Rescue Companies

Need to check to see if a foreclosure rescue company is being sued for possible fraud? This file compiles state and federal actions against foreclosure rescue companies.

Glossary of Mortgage and Foreclosure Terms

Don’t know what a 2-28 ARM is? What’s the difference between an adjustable-rate and a fixed-rate mortgage? Here’s a glossary of terms to help you out.

ESOP Scheduling East Side Appointments-South Euclid City Hall

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People is scheduling new appointments for east-side homeowners. Open a file & start saving your home (call 216 361-0718-ESOP), Monday, July 20, 10am-Noon, South Euclid City Hall (PH: 216 381-0400) 1349 So. Green Rd., So.Euclid, OH

ESOP is taking homeowner appointments in South Euclid every Monday morning from 10am-Noon.  You do not need to reside in South Euclid, but you will need to make an appointment. Please call ESOP at 216 361-0718 to schedule an appointment in South Euclid with a foreclosure prevention advocate.
http://www.esop-cleveland.org

ESOP Mortgage Help Walk In Event

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People will host a walk-in event for homeowners this Saturday July 18 at the Mt. Zion Community Development Organization, 4265 Northfield Rd. in Warrensville Heights beginning at 10AM. No appointments are necessary. Homeowners from anywhere can attend. ESOP Foreclosure prevention advocates will be on site to meet with homeowners who want to immediately start saving their homes through a mortgage modification. Homeowners who want help dealing with their mortgage lender should attend.

Lenders require the following info from homeowners for a loan modification:

- Most recent mortgage bill & lender correspondence

- List of all monthly bills & expenses

- Proof of property insurance

- Proof of property tax info (available on county auditor’s website)

- 2 months of pay stubs or income statements for all wage earners in the home

- 2 years of tax returns

Homeowners should bring PHOTOCOPIES of as much information as possible to immediately get started.  The can also call us for more information (216) 361-0718 or check out website event schedule at www.esop-cleveland.org

ESOP is based in Ohio, with 10 offices located throughout the state. ESOP has saved more Ohio homes than any other agency. ESOP services are always free to homeowners. ESOP has agreements with over 22 national mortgage lenders. ESOP has an 80-85% success rate. ESOP has kept more than 6,000 Ohio families in their homes since 2006

Facing the Mortgage Crisis Document List

If you are looking for mortgage assistance you will need to have many documents ready to share with lenders, help agencies and service providers. No matter what program or agency you go to you will need to provide information to determine your eligibility.

Save Our Homes Summit

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray Presents Save Our Homes Summit, Friday, July 17th, 10am - 4pm, in Columbus

Share Your Story

Have we helped you or someone you know through a foreclosure crisis? Use the module below to tell us your story.

Not Much Relief (The New York Times)

The Obama antiforeclosure plan should reduce principal rather than reduce monthly payments because it restores equity to borrowers, according to this editorial from The New York Times.

So Many Foreclosures, So Little Logic (The New York Times)

Lenders lose much more money on foreclosures than on loan modifications. So why are they so hesitant to modify mortgages? Read more by Columnist Gretchen Morgenson of the New York Times.

New Evidence on the Foreclosure Crisis (The Wall Street Journal)

What is really behind the mushrooming rate of mortgage foreclosures since 2007? Read Wall Street Journal columnist Stan Liebowitz’s take.

Boarded Homes & Abandoned Dreams (Feagler & Friends)

Boarded-up houses and abandoned dreams have turned parts of Cleveland into ghost towns. Cuyahoga County Treasurer Jim Rokakis and Cleveland City Councilman Tony Brancatelli join host Dick Feagler to discuss.

Reweaving the Neighborhood Fabric at MOCA Cleveland

The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs Forum Program presents: Building our Future Beyond Foreclosure: Reweaving the Neighborhood Fabric. http://urban.csuohio.edu/ Wednesday, July 22, 5:30-8:00pm; MOCA Cleveland, 8501 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106. http://www.mocacleveland.org/ Free and open to the public. Registration is not necessary.

A Better Life: Creating the American Dream (American RadioWorks)

The “American dream” has powered the hopes and aspirations of Americans for generations. It began as a plain but revolutionary notion: each person has the right to pursue happiness, and the freedom to strive for a better life through hard work and fair ambition. But over time, this dream has come to represent a set of expectations about owning things and making money. So what exactly is the American dream? How did we come to define it? And is it changing?

Foreclosure Home Assistance LLC of Cleveland Among Three Companies Accused of Scams (Plain Dealer)

The Plain Dealer has been covering the mortgage crisis for years. Recently reporter Sandra Livingston wrote a story about companies that instead of helping people were actually hurting them. Her entire story as well as more Plain Dealer coverage can be found at http://www.cleveland.com/foreclosure/ If you are trying to avoid foreclosure, experts advise working with your lender, mortgage servicing company or a HUD-approved agency.  Call 2-1-1, United Way’s First Call for Help, for referrals to an agency that provides foreclosure prevention counseling for free. www.211cleveland.org

Hard Times in Middletown (American RadioWorks)

For almost a century, Muncie, Indiana has been known as “Middletown,” the quintessential American community. But now, as the rust-belt city grapples with deepening recession, many residents are losing their hold on the middle class. Think of them as the brittle class, just one fragile rung above poverty on the economic ladder.

Foreclosure City (American Radioworks)

Until recently, Las Vegas was one of the few places where the American Dream still seemed widely possible. Each month, thousands of people flocked there, lured by the promise of good jobs and a chance to own a home. It was the fastest growing city in the country. But now, Las Vegas has a new distinction: the nation’s highest foreclosure rate.

Profile of Cleveland Arts Prize Winner Amy Casey

ideastream producer David C. Barnett has prepared this portrait of an artist who has tapped into the mood of our time—Cleveland Arts Prize winner Amy Casey.

Low-Cost Activities, Plus Week in Review (A Place of Our Own)

The current financial crisis is impacting children, families and child care providers throughout this country.  A very special episode of A Place of Our Own focuses on providing tips and advice to help families and child care providers, not just endure, but thrive during these difficult times.  Also featured will be one of the most versatile toys available for kids: the cardboard box.  With paint, scissors, glue and tape, lowly cardboard boxes can be transformed into castles, cars, airplanes, or almost anything a child is able to imagine.

4-Day Foreclosure Prevention Fair

RESTRUCTURE YOUR MORTAGE...SAVE YOUR HOME.
CONGRESSWOMAN MARCIA L. FUDGE invites you to a 4-Day Foreclosure Prevention Fair
Friday, July 17, 9am - 8 pm; Saturday, July 18, 9am - 8 pm; Sunday, July 19, 9am - 8 pm; Monday, July 20, 9am - 5 pm
The Wolstein Center, 2000 Prospect Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

All Boarded Up (New York Times)

Cleveland has often been a focus of the national foreclosure crisis—a city suffering from a high foreclosure rate since 2005. The New York Times Magazine ran a story which examined this issue from right here in Cleveland.

Caregivers Coping in Hard Times (A Place of Our Own)

The economic downturn has hit child care providers especially hard.  As parents face financial difficulties, many have been unable to bear the cost of paid child care, causing child care provider to lose business.  How can child care providers weather this financial storm without sacrificing the quality of care?  This issue will be explored on a special episode of A Place of Our Own.  With advice from child care specialist, Jocelyn Tucker and coping techniques from psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, A Place of Our Own will focus on practical solutions for child care providers - to help them reduce the costs associated with child care and explore alternative funding sources that may relieve some of their economic burdens.

Trimming Your Family’s Food Budget (A Place of Our Own)

Children need to eat healthy foods in order to grow and properly develop. But with many families’ food budgets shrinking during tough economic times, some parents might be tempted sacrifice nutritious and natural foods for lower cost processed food.  “Trimming Your Families Food Budget” will show you how to give your children the nutritious foods they require while cutting down your grocery bill at the same time.  Plus, poor nutrition and hunger can have a social and emotional impact on your family, so child psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy advises on how to weather the storm during an economic hardship.

Neighborhood Assistance Corporate of America Workshops

NACA Workshop: Shaker Heights Main Library, Saturday, July, 25, 10am-Noon, 16500 Van Aken Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120, 1-888-297-5568
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America ("NACA") is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership. Attend a free NACA Workshop to learn about NACA and the Home Save Program. Upon completion of the NACA Workshop, complete the submission section in the website and then make an appointment for an individual counseling session either face-to-face or by phone.

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America Workshops

NACA Workshop: Shaker Heights Main Library, Saturday, July 11, 10am-Noon, 16500 Van Aken Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44120 1-888-297-5568
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America ("NACA") is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership. Attend a free NACA Workshop to learn about NACA and the Home Save Program. Upon completion of the NACA Workshop, complete the submission section in the website and then make an appointment for an individual counseling session either face-to-face or by phone.

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America Workshops

NACA Workshop: Brooklyn Branch Library, Saturday, June 27 from 10am-2pm, 4303 Pearl Road, Cleveland, OH 44109, 1-888-297-5568 1-888-297-5568
The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America ("NACA") is a non-profit, community advocacy and homeownership organization. NACA’s primary goal is to build strong, healthy neighborhoods in urban and rural areas nationwide through affordable homeownership. Attend a free NACA Workshop to learn about NACA and the Home Save Program. Upon completion of the NACA Workshop, complete the submission section in the website and then make an appointment for an individual counseling session either face-to-face or by phone.

Foreclosure Crisis in Ohio - Tour of the Slavic Village, Panel Discussion and Q & A session

ESOP will participate in a forum called the Foreclosure Crisis in Ohio and tour of the Slavic Village which will take place on Saturday afternoon, June 27th.  A tour of Slavic Village will begin at 1:00pm from the Polish-American Cultural Center, 6501 Lansing Ave., Cleveland, OH 44105 in Slavic Village and will be followed by a roundtable discussion which goes until 3:30pm.

ESOP homeowner appointments at Salvation Army in Stark County

ESOP is now scheduling new appointments for homeowners in need of mortgage modification or foreclosure prevention services at the Salvation Army on the 4th Wednesday of every month. 

Financial Tips to Help Families Cope (A Place of Our Own)

The financial challenges many of us are facing today affect the entire family dynamic and can be overwhelming to manage.  This can be due to the inability for many people to pay for such necessities as rent, child care, utility bills, and more.  “Financial Tips to Help Families Cope” is about helping families discover new ways save money, cut costs and prioritize monthly spending to get the most for your dollar.  Plus, child psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy continues to lend his expertise on how to help children as we all learn to cope with new financial changes.

Protecting Kids Emotionally During Tough Economic Times (A Place of Our Own)

The current financial crisis is impacting families throughout this country.  New economic realities are forcing many families to make changes, both big and small, which affect their children.  A very special, and timely, episode of A Place of Our Own examines how we, as adults, can help young children understand changing financial circumstances without scaring them.  This special episode of A Place of Our Own features child psychiatrist, Dr. Charles Sophy, helping the Sharp family explain to their 2 ½ -year-old son why they’ve had to move in with a family member after his father lost his job.  This show gives parents the tools to reassure and emotionally support their children, to help them cope during these sometimes frightening and unstable times.

Lakewood To Host Homeowner Financial Education Forum

The Lakewood Division of Community Development will host a Financial Education Forum on Thursday, June 25, 2009 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Harrison Elementary School, 2080 Quail Avenue. This forum will provide resources to assist Lakewood homeowners with questions about their homes or rental properties. Topics to be covered include Property Valuation, Rehabbing Property, City and County Programs, Rental Resources and Home Repairs.

Building our Future Beyond Foreclosure: Reweaving the Neighborhood Fabric

There Goes the Neighborhood explores the evolution of communities here and abroad. The exhibition focuses on how architecture and landscape embody a neighborhood’s past, present, and potential future. The event is Wednesday, July 22.

Save the Dream

Save the Dream provides information and highlights programs that Ohioians can use to help save the dream of owning a home.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) helps to increase home ownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination.

The Housing Advocates

The Housing Advocates offer minorities, disabled, and the poor an opportunity for housing justice.

NeighborWorks America

NeighborWorks America provides a network of local organizations who special in foreclosure counseling and solutions.

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America

The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America is a non- profit advocacy and HUD certified counseling agency.

Catholic Charities

Don’t know how to begin your search for help? Catholic Charities may be a good place to start.

Neighborhood Progress Inc.

Wondering how your neighborhood and its value are affected by the mortgage crisis?

Neighborhood Stabilization Program

The Neighborhood Stabilization Program was established for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland (NHSGC) is a trusted not-for-profit organization that has provided families in Northeast Ohio with the housing education and home repair loans they need to buy, improve, and keep their homes.

CSU Building our Future Beyond Foreclosure Forums

The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs will be hosting a series of forums to inform the public regarding mortgage, foreclosure and general financial information in our region.

Policy Matters Ohio

For those who care about democracy, education, taxes, energy, cities, and the economy visit or contact Policy Matters Ohio.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Lacking the basic knowledge about the real-estate market, and wanting an optimistic outlook? The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland will provide you just that. They work to explain what caused the market to nosedive and what to expect.

Cuyahoga County Public Library

Through the Adult Services division, the Cuyahoga County Public Library has hosted community forums in 28 branches to provide information and counseling regarding the mortgage crisis. Learn about Cleveland’s foreclosure crisis and its newest scams. 

Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP)

Empowering & Strengthening Ohio’s People (ESOP) is on your side. They are providing information on how to keep your money safe and to detect a mortgage scam.

The Cuyahoga County Foreclosure Prevention Program

The Cuyahoga County Foreclosure Prevention Program was created by the County Commissioners and County Treasuerer Jim Rokakis in the spring of 2006 to assist residents of Cuyahoga County who were having trouble with (or questions about) their home loans.

Housing Cleveland

A free service for finding affordable rental housing in Cuyahoga County is Housing Cleveland.

United Way of Greater Cleveland

United Way of Greater Cleveland’s 2-1-1 phone service is a free community program providing information about social, health and government resources 24 hours a day, every day.

Facing the Mortgage Crisis: A special edition of The Diane Rehm Show

Diane Rehm hosted a special edition of the Diane Rehm Show on April 29, 2009, right before a President Obama press conference about his policy decisions that addressed the troubled economy.

Slavic Village Mortgage Mess (Bill Moyers Journal)

The Bill Moyers Journal travels to ground zero of the mortgage meltdown--Cleveland, Ohio. Correspondent Rick Karr takes viewers to Slavic Village, one of the hardest hit neighborhoods in the nation when it comes to the spate of foreclosures caused by the subprime mortgage crisis.

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