Gov. Quinn Mortgage Relief Project to Visit Downers Grove

Editor's note: The following is a press release from the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs. 

Governor Quinn’s Mortgage Relief Project will visit Downers Grove on Oct. 6.

The event will take place at Downers Grove North High School from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the school cafeteria. Registration will close at noon. The school is located at 4436 Main St. 

The project is a key component of the new Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network to help struggling west suburban homeowners take advantage of programs that can help them save their homes from foreclosure.

Coordinated by the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA), IFPN connects homeowners with all available assistance, resources and knowledge to help them keep their homes. IHDA is partnering with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) to establish this free, one-stop resource of state agencies and nonprofit organizations to help Illinois residents access resources so that they can remain in their homes.

The event is being co-hosted State Senator Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) and State Representative Chris Nybo (R-Lombard). It will be the 35th stop in a statewide tour that began in the summer of 2009.

The Mortgage Relief Project offers property owners free, on-site assistance to rework their mortgages and prevent foreclosure. Homeowners who have recently fallen behind on their mortgage payments can obtain a 90-day grace period by entering housing counseling, according to the Homeowner Protection Act, a law enacted three years ago by Governor Quinn.

The Act requires that all lenders and loan servicers notify homeowners who are at least 30 days late on their mortgage payments that they have 30 days to seek housing counseling to get their loan back on track. If a homeowner enters housing counseling, they get an additional 30-day grace period on foreclosure in order to work out a payment plan or refinance option.

The free workshops will offer helpful advice about mortgage refinancing, foreclosure prevention, legal rights, credit counseling and avoiding scam artists. Homeowners can also obtain private, one-on-one housing counseling with HUD-certified counselors and are encouraged to bring their latest mortgage documents (bills, statements, notices, etc.), two most recent paystubs, and their state ID or driver’s license.

For more information or to receive immediate assistance in advance this event, call IDFPR’s toll-free consumer hotline (800) 532-8785 or visit www.idfpr.com or www.ihda.org.

A list of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies in Illinois can be found at www.hud.gov.