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CONTACT: Saralyn Stafford, 770.927.5169

DCA Expands HomeSafe Georgia Outreach

New Partnerships Promote Foreclosure Help for Georgians

ATLANTA – HomeSafe Georgia, a program of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA), has named Atlanta-based CredAbility as its new statewide partner and The D&E Group, Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Middle Georgia, and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Savannah as its regional partners as part of a new outreach program aimed at helping more Georgia homeowners avoid foreclosure.

HomeSafe Georgia is a federally funded program designed to assist homeowners who struggle to pay their mortgage due to reduced income. Since HomeSafe Georgia began in April 2011, more than 2,000 Georgians have received assistance to help them make their mortgage payments until they find work.

“Our new state and regional partners will help thousands of Georgians complete the application process for HomeSafe Georgia mortgage payment assistance,” said DCA Commissioner Mike Beatty.

CredAbility, The D&E Group, and the Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Middle Georgia and Savannah will provide direct assistance to help homeowners apply for the loans. Counselors will also help homeowners collect and submit tax returns, bank statements and other documents needed to complete the application.

Beginning this month, the partners will contact people who began filling out the program’s online application within the past 90 days, but have yet to complete the application. The homeowner will get help completing the application and collecting the documents needed to apply for HomeSafe Georgia assistance.

If a homeowner is not eligible for HomeSafe Georgia, they will be offered a free and confidential housing counseling session with a housing counselor.

HomeSafe Georgia’s goal is to help more than 18,000 homeowners avoid foreclosure by the end of 2017.

Eligible homeowners approved for the program will close on a no-interest loan. After the assistance period, the loan will be reduced at a rate of 20 percent per year for five years.

Georgia received $340 million for the program as part of the U.S. Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, which targeted states with high rates of unemployment and foreclosure.

About HomeSafe Georgia

HomeSafe Georgia provides temporary mortgage assistance for homeowners who are unemployed or underemployed through no fault of their own. It is part of the Hardest Hit Fund federal grant program, and it is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. For questions about HomeSafe Georgia, call 877-519-4443. To submit a HomeSafe Georgia application, go to www.HomeSafeGeorgia.com.

About CredAbility
Founded in 1964, CredAbility is one of the leading nonprofit credit counseling and education agencies in the United States, serving clients in both English and Spanish. In addition to providing counseling via telephone and internet, CredAbility has locations in five states across the southeast.

The nonprofit agency is accredited by the Council on Accreditation and is a member of the Better Business Bureau and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC).Service is provided 24/7 by phone at 800.251.2227 and online at www.CredAbility.org

About The D&E Group

D&E is structured in three entities: A Financial Education and Training Institute Inc. as a 501(c)(3) HUD approved housing counseling organization operational since January 2000; The Consulting Group that delivers professional consulting services, corporate and technical training solutions;  and A Community Development Corporation structured to transform economically distressed neighborhoods into viable, thriving, and sustainable communities through quality affordable homes and home-ownership counseling.

About Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Middle Georgia

Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Middle Georgia, Inc. is a private, nonprofit community service agency. Established locally in 1971, this organization provides professional, confidential counseling and educational programs for individuals and families in matters relating to money and credit management. As a HUD-approved agency, CCCS also assists individuals and families in the areas of homeownership education and in realizing their goal of homeownership.

Our agency maintains its accreditation by the Council on Accreditation (COA) for Children and Family Services. In addition, our credit counselors are all certified by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC).

About Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Savannah

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of the Savannah Area, Inc. (CCCS) is a nonprofit organization that has been providing money management solutions since 1965.   Our nationally certified counselors are experts in budget, credit, debt and housing counseling.  CCCS is also a practitioner of the National Industry Standards for Home Ownership Education and Counseling.

Our mission is to provide the best non-profit community service, dedicated to delivering professional and confidential counseling, debt management, housing counseling and consumer credit education to all segments of the community regardless of ability to pay.