CT Fair Housing Center

Medical Need for an Assistance Dog Trumps “No Pets” Rule

Admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:50:14 +0000

For Ann Mitchell’s disabled daughter, life without her dog wasn’t just lonely, it was dangerous. Born with multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy, she suffered from seizures and was dependant on her assistance dog, Rock. With Rock’s help, she was able to attend school, tackle stairs, navigate around the house and even right herself after a fall. Unfortunately, all of that changed when her family moved to a rental home in Windsor Locks. Her landlord refused to make an exception to his rule against dogs; even assistance dogs like Rock. Read more here.

Summary of “AN ACT CONCERNING RESPONSIBLE LENDING AND ECONOMIC SECURITY”

Admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:11:06 +0000

For a summary of the responsible lending and mortgage relief bill recently passed by the Connecticut Legislature, click here

Mortgage Relief Bill Highlights Final Day Of Legislative Session

Admin — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:56:14 +0000

Hours before the legislature’s 2008 session ended, the state Senate unanimously passed a comprehensive mortgage-relief bill that would help thousands of subprime mortgage holders threatened with foreclosure.

The Senate moved swiftly in bipartisan fashion to help cash-strapped homeowners through programs that would give them more-affordable interest rates, allowing them to remain in their homes. Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she was eager to sign the bill into law, giving a bipartisan gloss to a session consumed in recent weeks by partisan rancor. Read more here.

More Mortgage Woes

Admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:13:38 +0000

CNN News: Many homeowners who were subject to predatory lending practices - including brokers who misrepresented payments - are trying to rework their loans. Few are having any luck. Click here to see what CNN has reported about the issue.

Subprime Lending Bills Gain Legislative Attention

Admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:19:20 +0000

The recent attention mortgage reform has garnered has turned subprime lending legislation into a hot topic. Both in the Connecticut General Assembly, the legislatures of other states, and the US Congress, mortgage reform has become an important issue of discussion. The debate revolves around, not whether or not to reform the industry, but how. “Connecticut lawmakers are faced with the dilemma of how to put more controls on the industry to prevent predatory abuses, without penalizing brokers and mortgage lenders who followed the rules.” To learn more about the subprime lending legislation debate and see how lawmakers and advocacy groups, like the CT Fair Housing Center, hope to tackle the issue, click here.

Will the Federal program, “Project Lifeline,” help homeowners?

Admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:33:00 +0000

A recent Commercial Record article tackles this important question. Connecticut foreclosure prevention specialists, like those at the CT Fair Housing Center, believe that the new Federal program, “Project Lifeline,” will not effectively protect homeowners who are facing foreclosure. This new program gives homeowners who have fallen behind in mortgage payments a 30-day grace period, but specialists like Erin Kemple, Executive Director of the Center, doubt that this is enough time to truly help homeowners. Kemple stressed the need for more effective regulatory legislation, like that currently proposed in Connecticut and already passed in other states. Click here to read the full article and learn more about “Project Lifeline.”

CT Fair Housing Center Anti-Predatory Lending Bill

Admin — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:11:56 +0000

The CT Fair Housing Center has released its “Foreclosure Prevention and Responsible Lending” bill, SB 423. This legislation seeks to accomplish three goals in order to protect borrowers from predatory lending: 1) to regulate mortgage products that increase the risk of foreclosure; 2) to ban abusive practices; and 3) to create accountability for mortgage brokers, lenders, and assignees (entities that buy the original loan). Click here to see the text of the bill.

Coverage of the Center’s Press Conference on Antipredatory Lending Legislation

Admin — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:13:17 +0000

Click here to see all of the coverage of the Connecticut Fair Housing Center’s press conference introducing the details of its antipredatory lending legislation.

Connecticut Fair Housing Center Introduces Antipredatory Lending Legislation

Admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 14:34:49 +0000

On Wednesday, February 13, 2008, 1:00 p.m., in Room 1A of the Legislative Office Building, the Connecticut Fair Housing Center introduced the details of a bill designed to eliminate the financial incentives to take advantage of unsuspecting borrowers in addition to offering effective enforcement mechanisms that consumers can use to avoid losing their homes in the future. In developing this legislation, the Center worked with nationally recognized experts as well as local practitioners who have been on the forefront of this crisis in Connecticut. Press release on antipredatory lending bill.

Attorneys Respond to Foreclosure Crisis

Admin — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:53:18 +0000

As homeowners increasingly default on their mortgages, lawyers are mobilizing to provide assistance to those at risk of losing their homes.

On Friday, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Pro Bono Committee and the Connecticut Fair Housing Center are hosting a daylong foreclosure prevention strategies seminar in the grand courtroom of the Quinnipiac University School of Law, starting at 8:30 a.m. See, Attorneys Respond To Foreclosure Crisis.