The Connecticut Fair Housing Center offers two resources for homeowners facing foreclosure:
- Foreclosure Prevention Clinics: For information on Foreclosure Prevention Clinics around the state, when classes are being held, and where to go, click here.
- “Representing Yourself in Foreclosure: A Guide for Connecticut Homeowners.“ This guide assists unrepresented homeowners in navigating the judicial foreclosure process including explaining how to request mediation, what to bring to court, and how to explain to a judge what you and your family need. Click on the title above to download a copy or call Letty at (860)247-4400, ext. 0722 to have a hard copy mailed to you for free.
You may also find assistance through:
Mediation
Homeowners facing foreclosure problems who have been served a Summons & Complaint should participate in Connecticut’s Foreclosure Mediation Program. Mediation offers a homeowner a chance to sit down with a court-employed mediator and an attorney from their mortgage company to discuss possibilities for workouts such as a loan modification. More information on Mediation can be found in our manual, through our clinics (at which court-employed mediators speak), and at: http://www.jud.ct.gov/foreclosure/.
Housing Counselors
Homeowners with mortgage problems, regardless of whether their court case has started, should consider working with a housing counselor. Housing counselors are available, for free, throughout Connecticut. They are experienced professionals with special access to the resources available to homeowners and, quite often, homeowners’ mortgage servicer. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center works with housing counseling agencies on the complicated issues that often arise during counseling. Contact information for housing counselors is available on pp. 35-36 of our manual, and through these sites:
- The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (statewide): http://www.chfa.org/content/CHFA%20Documents/EMAP%20Counseling%20Agency%20List.pdf
- The ROOF Project (greater New Haven): http://www.theroofproject.org/for-homeowners
Judicial Branch Foreclosure Advice Program
Volunteer attorneys are available to give advice and answer questions about foreclosure every Wednesday morning from 9-11 a.m. at (1) New Haven Superior Court, 235 Church St., 7th floor. and (2) starting on January 11, Superior Court in Bridgeport, 1061 Main St., Room 208. Homeowners facing foreclosure in any judicial district are welcome to attend. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center supports this program by recruiting and training the program’s volunteer attorneys and by providing its own attorneys.
Connecticut Department of Banking Mortgage Foreclosure Hotline
The Department of Banking runs a hotline for homeowners with questions about foreclosure. It is available Mon-Fri from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. at 1-877-472-8313. More information and a comprehensive compilation of resources available to homeowners may be found on www.ct.gov/dob. Department of Banking representatives participate in our legal clinics.
Statewide Legal Services (SLS)
SLS provides free legal advice and referrals for callers qualifying for its services (guidelines include income limits). You can reach SLS via 1-800-453-3320 or 860-344-0380. The Connecticut Fair Housing Center helps support and train SLS’s attorneys and attorneys who take pro bono foreclosure cases from SLS.
Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program
The state-funded Mortgage Crisis Job Training Program is a project of The WorkPlace, Inc., in partnership with the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA), Capital Workforce Partners, and Connecticut’s workforce system. The Program helps homeowners increase their job skills and earning potential. It offers customized employment services, job training scholarships, financial literacy, and credit counseling. For information call 1-866-683-1682 or go to www.workplace.org/mortgage.asp.
How Foreclosure Rescue Scams Work
People in foreclosure are frequently targeted for “foreclosure rescue scams.” Be very careful of non-lawyers who ask you to pay a fee for counseling, loan modification, foreclosure prevention, or a “forensic audit” of your loan documents, regardless of their promises or claims. Many out-of-state attorneys target Connecticut residents: you should never pay attorneys that you do not meet. Contact the Department of Banking for more information at 1-877-472-8313 or visit www.preventloanscams.org.