Springboard Assists With Community Responses to Foreclosure Prevention

Riverside, CA (PRWEB) October 21, 2007 -- Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management, a HUD-certified housing counseling agency, continued to help homeowners concerned about foreclosure by participating in community foreclosure prevention events in the Southern California area. In September, Springboard participated in "Save Your Home from Foreclosure", a community workshop presented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, County of Riverside and Partner Cities.

Springboard housing counselors, teamed with the other agency housing counselors to field questions from homeowners concerned about their mortgages and who were seeking information on working with a housing counseling agency. The day also included a series of breakout sessions, with Springboard conducting the session on credit and money management. This workshop emphasized prioritizing and managing debt in times of crisis as well as tips on preserving credit during difficult times and re-establishing credit after a financial crisis. The event drew over 400 attendees and included panelists from HUD approved housing counseling agencies, lenders, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and HUD/FHA.

June through September, Springboard participated in four HOME (Home Owners Mobile Education) Clinics. The Clinics are a free community service program of the Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC), a coalition of non-profit organizations and agencies in the San Diego region. The goal of the HOME Clinics is to facilitate the coordination of resources and services in a "one-stop shop", so homeowners facing foreclosure have access to existing services. The clinic pooled attorneys, real estate and mortgage industry professionals, HUD approved housing counseling agencies such as Springboard, fair housing agencies, and other public agencies at one location. The clinics were held in the following cities in the San Diego County: Escondido, Oceanside, Chula Vista and San Diego. Springboard's housing and credit counselors teamed with other agencies' housing counselors to provide counseling for one-on-one consumer assistance. The clinics also provided a series of educational sessions, and Springboard presented sessions on understanding and preserving credit during difficult times and re-establishing credit after a financial crisis.

Springboard's President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Emerson, was a featured panelist at the "Preserving Homeownership-Preserving Communities" forum in San Diego, sponsored by the Community Affairs Offices of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Office of the Comptroller of Currency, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and the Office of Thrift Supervision. The event brought together local experts on foreclosure prevention counseling and consumer fraud and deceptive practices to discuss the costs of foreclosure to homeowners, business, and communities, describing effective works in progress along with resources to aid distressed borrowers. Mr. Emerson continued the discussion with panelists in a second event held in Los Angeles a few weeks later. The Los Angeles event was co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, with HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson attending.

Springboard is one of five leading non-profit counseling agencies partnering with the Homeownership Preservation Foundation HOPE hotline (888-995-HOPE), providing education and counseling that helps homeowners overcome financial difficulties and stay in their homes.

About Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management

Springboard is a nonprofit credit education and financial counseling organization founded in 1974. The agency offers personal financial education and assistance with debt, credit and money management through confidential counseling. Springboard is accredited by the Council on Accreditation, signifying high standards for agency governance, fiscal integrity, counselor certification and service delivery policies. The agency provides pre-bankruptcy counseling and debtor education as mandated by the Bankruptcy reform law. Springboard is a HUD approved housing counseling agency and a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a national organization of nonprofit credit counseling agencies. The agency has several locations in California and offers face-to-face and nationwide phone counseling services. For more information on Springboard, call 1-800 WISE PLAN (1-800-947-3752) ext. 750 or visit their web site at www.credit.org

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