MEDIA CONTACTS
Patricia Fink
CRLA Fair Housing and Foreclosure Program Legal Director
Tel. (707)528-9941 ext. 1907, pfink@crla.org
Maeve Elise Brown
HERA Executive Director
Tel. (510) 271-8443 ext. 307, melisebrown@heraca.org
New Foreclosure Prevention Partnership Helps Struggling California Homeowners
California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) and Housing & Economic Rights Advocates (HERA) launch statewide partnership to keep people in their homes
Oakland, CA—Burdened by rising amounts of both mortgage and non-mortgage debt, low-income homeowners across California face an ever-tightening housing market, threats of foreclosure, predatory and discriminatory financing, and myriad scams.
To bring relief to struggling homeowners, California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA) and Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA) have launched a partnership to provide legal services to prevent foreclosure and help low-income Californians remain in their homes.
The partnership is made possible through a grant provided by the California State Bar and will serve residents of Northern California, the Sacramento Area, the Bay Area, the Central Coast, the Central Valley, and Eastern California. CRLA and HERA will focus on clients over the age of 50 but will also serve younger homeowners. They will also focus on homeowners who are people of color, women, individuals with disabilities, immigrants, and people with limited English proficiency. Some clients will be low-income heirs to the family home who are attempting to assume the mortgage loan after the death of a loved one; these individuals often need to modify the loan to make it affordable.
CRLA and HERA will provide loan document review, mortgage modification and advocacy, investigation, litigation, and will file administrative complaints. In addition to serving individuals, the organizations will educate a wider audience through home preservation workshops.
Homeowners interested in services or workshops can get more information by:
- HERA: please leave a message at (510) 271-8443 Ext. 307 or inquiries@heraca.org, or visit www.heraca.org
- CRLA: please visit www.crla.org to contact the office closest to you
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California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. (CRLA)
Founded in 1966, CRLA’s mission is to fight for justice and individual rights alongside the most exploited communities of our society. Through 21 offices statewide, we provide no-cost legal services and education to tens of thousands of low-income Californians and litigate cases that benefit even more people. We help our clients get fair pay for their hard work, find and stay in safe housing, access healthcare, ensure quality education for their kids, and more. www.crla.org
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates (HERA)
HERA is a California statewide, not-for-profit legal service and advocacy organization dedicated to helping Californians — particularly those most vulnerable — build a safe, sound financial future, free of discrimination and economic abuses, in all aspects of household financial concerns. We provide free legal services, consumer workshops, training for professionals and community organizing support, create innovative solutions and engage in policy work locally, statewide and nationally. www.heraca.org