NAACP and Ocwen to Host Ft. Lauderdale "Help & Hope For Homeowners" Event To Help Borrowers Improve Their Mortgage Situation
Ocwen customers invited to June 20th event to explore loan modification options to make their homes more affordable
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the NAACP Florida State Conference announced the second in a series of local homeowner outreach events held in partnership with Ocwen Financial Corporation (NYSE:OCN), a leading financial services holding company. The Help & Hope for Homeowners event, scheduled for Saturday, June 20, will provide Florida homeowners with opportunities to learn about loan modification programs, including principal reduction, which can help make their homes more affordable.
Following a very successful series debut in Chicago, the event will bring Ocwen customers together with United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) approved financial counselors and Ocwen Home Retention Agents, who can explore with homeowners potential loan modification options.
In Florida specifically, the situation is dire. According to data collected by RealtyTrac, just this past April, one out of every 425 Florida housing units was in foreclosure. In 2014, the state had the highest foreclosure rate in the country.
"A recent RealtyTrac study found that almost one in four Floridians were 'seriously underwater' on their mortgage. While it's a slight improvement over the previous quarter, it's still a staggering statistic, and one that we hope to improve," said Adora Obi Nweze, President of the NAACP Florida State Conference. "The NAACP is committed to helping underwater borrowers by improving their relationships with financial institutions. As part of that commitment, and in order to provide borrowers with the financial information and education they need, we've partnered with Ocwen - a mortgage servicer we know is committed to helping homeowners find real solutions to their mortgage and housing challenges."
For the NAACP, the partnership with Ocwen is a natural fit. Foreclosures have been, and continue to be, an epidemic in communities of color since the housing crash of 2008. It's a troubling reality that African Americans and other under-served groups continue to experience disproportionately high levels of unemployment, poverty, and foreclosures.
On Saturday, June 20, homeowners in Florida whose loans are serviced by Ocwen are encouraged to come to the Help & Hope for Homeowners event at the Urban League of Broward County (560 NW 27th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL) where housing counselors and Ocwen Home Retention Agents will be available to meet with homeowners anytime between 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. to learn about loan modification programs, including principal reductions, that can help make their homes more affordable.
To get the most out of the meetings with the counselors and home retention agents, homeowners are asked to bring:
- Photo ID (Required)
- Two most recent pay stubs, profit & loss statements, and/or bonus or commission records
- Two most recent bank statements
- Most recent tax return
- Latest utility bill
- A list of current expenses (or a budget or copies of their bills)
- Documents related to other mortgages, HOA dues, property taxes, and/or homeowner insurance
Additional events will be held over the coming months in Maryland and New York where the effects of the 2008 housing crisis are still being felt.
For more information, or to jumpstart the process before the event, Ocwen homeowners are encouraged to call the NAACP-dedicated hotline at (855) 459-2514 or email the NAACP Florida State Conference at [email protected].
About NAACP Florida State Conference
For more than a century the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has worked to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination. Inspired by the force and commitment of The Call of 1909, which denounced the growing oppression of people of color and mobilized thousands to work to bring this discrimination to an end, the NAACP seeks to establish a strategic direction as it embarks on developing The New Call for the 21st Century.
SOURCE NAACP Florida State Conference
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