Piece by Piece
Quick Links
  

>PBP ONLINE 

  

Piece by Piece Update

April 12, 2012

  

  

Greetings! 

  

Please take note of the following news and calendar items.

 


National Fair Housing Alliance Releases Findings of Undercover Investigation into Condition of REO Houses in Minority Neighborhoods; Metro Atlanta Properties Included in Analysis

 

The National Fair Housing Alliance and four of its local member organizations (including Atlanta's Metro Fair Housing Services) conducted an undercover investigation, "The Banks Are Back, Our Neighborhoods Are Not: Discrimination in the Maintenance and Marketing of REO Properties", highlighting predominately African-American and Latino neighborhoods that face apparent discrimination in the maintenance of properties in comparison to White neighborhoods. Released April 4th, the report looks at 1,000 RE0 properties located in and around Atlanta, GA; Baltimore, MD; Dallas, TX; Dayton, OH; Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL; Oakland/Richmond/Concord, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; and Washington, DC. The report, press release and PowerPoint summary of the report are available here(Courtesy of National Housing Conference). 

  

Gail Williams of Metro Fair Housing Services, Inc. joined DeKalb County Commissioners Larry Johnson and Stan Watson; Chris Morris, Director of DeKalb County Community Development Department; and Ruth Trembley, HUD's Atlanta Homeownership Center for the Atlanta announcement of the report.

 

 

Bill Introduced to Fund Demolition through Sale of Bonds

 
On March 19, a bipartisan group of Representatives from Ohio and Michigan introduced the Restore Our Neighborhoods Act of 2012 (H.R. 4210). The bill would provide $4 billion for states to issue 30-year Qualified Urban Demolition Bonds to demolish vacant, foreclosed, and abandoned homes that are destabilizing communities. Half of the $4 billion would be evenly distributed among the 50 states, and the other $2 billion would be directed at states that have the greatest need for residential demolition. Also included in the bill is a provision that would eliminate the 10 percent demolition cap for recipients of the second and third round of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP2 and NSP 3). For more information, read the press release from Representative Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio), lead sponsor of the legislation along with Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio). (Courtesy of Enterprise Community Partners Capitol Express Newsletter) More

 

 

Project Rebuild Letter of Support ---- Deadline to Sign Extended

 

As reported in the April 2 PBP email, PBP partner the National Housing Conference is coordinating organizations to sign a letter of support for legislation to fund $15 billion for Project Rebuild, a fourth round of funding for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP).  A copy of the letter is attached here.  If your organization is interested in signing, please email Sarah Jawaid at [email protected].

  

 

Mark your Calendars

 

April 18:  Understanding the Mortgage Service Settlement and the New FHA Streamline Refinancing Plan; Conference Call with HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and HUD Program Staff; 2:00 PM; Dial 1-800-230-1074

Join US HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and HUD program staff for a conference call on the Mortgage Settlement and FHA Streamline Refinancing plans.  Call participants will hear from senior HUD officials and program staff about the types of assistance available to individuals and families who are underwater and seeking refinance assistance, who were wrongfully foreclosed upon, or are currently facing foreclosure.   To join the call and receive copies of the Settlement handouts, please RSVP to [email protected]  or call 202-708-2404.

  

April 28:  Fulton County Neighborhood SHOcase Home Show & Expo; 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Georgia International Convention Center

The Neighborhood SHOcase is a Special Homeownership Opportunity (SHO) event where qualified homebuyers are given an opportunity to buy real estate in the neighborhoods they desire to live in.  The Fulton SHOcase will feature over 60 properties available in Fulton County.  Free buyer preparation seminars will be available at various times during the week.  These seminars follow an established homeownership education curriculum to help buyers better understand the homebuying process.  To register, visit www.homebyrequest.com or call 1-877-484-6669.

  

April 28:  HomeSafe Georgia Event

D&E has partnered with Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) in a Statewide effort to bring awareness and options to the unemployment and mortgage crisis with a Mortgage Payment Assistance program to prevent foreclosures for Georgians, under HomeSafe Georgia.  HomeSafe Georgia will help by providing "bridge" mortgage assistance, for up to 18 months, to Georgians who are unemployed or have seen a dramatic decrease in their income due to national economic conditions.  See attached flyer for more details.


May 3rd:  Free Housing Education and Counseling in Gwinnett County with Housing Counselors from the IMPACT! Group

The IMPACT! Group is partnering with HUD and Gwinnett County Government to offer a day of free housing education and counseling to the public. Learn about the tools available for foreclosure prevention and home retention and how to avoid scams, predatory lending practices, and mortgage fraud. Housing counselors from The IMPACT! Group will be available. More

  

 

 

Sincerely

Susan Adams

Piece by Piece Coordinator  

 

 

andp brown