Take Charge America, Inc., a non-profit credit counseling and housing counseling agency in Phoenix, marked a milestone this year. It has now assisted more than 10,000 Arizona homeowners with housing counseling. Most of this assistance was for foreclosure prevention, a free service that helps homeowners avoid foreclosure or mitigate losses caused by foreclosure.
As a response to economic conditions, Take Charge America introduced foreclosure prevention counseling in 2008. The organization is approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist distressed homeowners statewide with a variety of solutions that could potentially save their homes, such as accessing and sustaining loan modifications, refinancing and principal reduction.
To date, Take Charge America has helped more than 1,100 individuals and families save their homes, primarily through mortgage modifications. Specially trained counselors work directly with homeowners’ mortgage companies to achieve the best possible solution based on their circumstances.
“Headquartered in one of the hardest-hit states, we were compelled to help Arizona families navigate the housing crisis,” said David Richardson, chief executive officer of Take Charge America. “While we’ve made significant strides, there are still many homeowners who need our help. Foreclosures may be declining, but the threat is still far above normal levels.”
Foreclosure prevention counseling is a free service mainly funded by grants and government awards. Take Charge America was recently awarded $300,000 by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office to expand one-on-one foreclosure prevention counseling, enabling the organization to expand its reach.
Homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure can call Take Charge America at (623) 266-6382 or (866) 987-2008 to speak with a counselor.
Take Charge America is also HUD-approved to provide reverse mortgage counseling to senior homeowners and pre-purchase counseling to new homebuyers.
For more information about Take Charge America’s services, visit www.takechargeamerica.org.
