UNA unveils initiative to prevent foreclosures

The partnership is led by St. Louis nonprofit Beyond Housing and funded by NeighborWorks America, which will present a $110,000 check to Beyond Housing at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow at Ozarks Technical Community College.

MHPN works to prevent foreclosures by three avenues: a hotline, (888) 995-4673, that connects homeowners with homeownership counselors and credible lenders; one-on-one counseling to help homeowners catch up on payments or delay foreclosures to allow time to sell their homes; and free homebuyer education courses on managing money and maintaining a home.

Foreclosures are on the rise both nationally and locally. In Greene County last year, foreclosures increased 34 percent to 513 from 2005, according to a UNA news release. In addition, Missouri in the first two months of 2007 led the nation in the percentage increase of foreclosures filed, with a 240 percent increase over the same period in 2006.