RICHMOND, Va. - As thousands of homeowners in Virginia continue the struggle to keep their houses out of foreclosure, The Center For Responsible Lending is counting the ways they are not getting "love" from their lenders, compiling a "Top Ten" list of abuses.
Paula Sherman, education and training coordinator for Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) of Virginia, has seen it all, from illegal fees to the now much-publicized "robo-signing," where loan documents are never properly reviewed and court documents are falsified. She says the mortgage system can be tricky, even for the savviest homeowner, but knowledge is power.
"Number one: know the signs. Many homeowners don't know that they've been abused, for lack of a better word, by their servicers, that they've been a victim of one of these abuses."
Sherman says it's important for homeowners to seek help by contacting a HUD-approved housing counselor and also reporting any incidents to the state Attorney General's Office.
She says the lending companies are not regulated in a way that necessarily benefits the homeowner, who can be left with little to no recourse when it comes to foreclosure. She says buyers should make sure to document the entire process.
"When they communicate with their servicer, write who I spoke with, the time I spoke with them, if the person they're speaking with has a representative ID number, a phone number. Track and document is so important."
People who believe they are victims of wrongful foreclosure conduct can file complaints with the Virginia Attorney General's office, says communications director Brian Gottstein.
"We are currently looking into the mortgage industry and its practices here in the Commonwealth; we're investigating the industry in general, and we are looking for consumers to bring us their complaints. Citizens also may also wish to contact a private attorney and a Legal Aid office, if they qualify."
Gottstein says a list of information that will be needed by the AG's office can be found on their website, www.vaag.com
The Top Ten list list of mortgage abuses is at www.responsiblelending.org
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Orange County's Supreme Court reversed a decision letting the city of Newburgh implement state tenant protections.
The city declared a housing emergency in 2023 when a study showed a vacancy rate less than 4%. The lawsuit overturning the protections found that the study was flawed, leading the court to invalidate it.
Daniel Atonna, political coordinator for the group For the Many, said this leaves tenants in a precarious position.
"This rips away protections for tenants in over 730 apartments in the city of Newburgh," he said, "at a time when tenants all across the Hudson Valley, all across New York, are facing difficult conditions as landlords are trying to evict them and raise their rent."
The petitioner's attorney said if unchecked, the city's actions would have made drastic changes to the rental market without legal basis.
This ruling also keeps Newburgh from setting up a rent guidelines board to decide whether rent-stabilized tenants' rents should stay the same, increase or decrease. Atonna said he hopes the city redoes the survey and implements these protections.
Atonna thinks Newburgh should opt into the newly passed Good Cause Eviction protections. This could better protect tenants, although some housing advocates feel these protections are ineffective. He said many residents support having tenant protections.
"Because it's meant stabilization for the community, right? It means a strong community where their neighbors aren't getting uprooted and evicted every couple of years," he said. "So, this was something that was going to be good for everyone."
A 2021 survey found 77% of Newburgh residents would leave the city because of high rents. It also found that people spend more than 30% of their income on rent.
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The Supreme Court case Grants Pass v. Gloria Johnson could upend homeless populations in Connecticut and nationwide.
The case centers around whether municipalities can fine or ticket people for sleeping outside when there is no shelter available. Connecticut had an eight-year decline in homelessness, but the last two Point-in-Time snapshots indicated it is rising again.
Sarah Fox, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, said ticketing and fining homeless people only harms them.
"It in fact prolongs their experience of homelessness," Fox asserted. "Once someone is engaged with the criminal legal system, it impacts and affects every other part of their life and their world."
She argued the state needs to work proactively to reduce homelessness, such as tackling the affordable-housing crisis. Connecticut has a shortage of more than 98,000 affordable rental homes. Fox suggested an interagency council on homelessness can ensure homeless people have better access to services and emphasized more funding will create a more effective system for sheltering homeless people.
Homelessness has risen 6% nationally since 2017.
Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said affordable housing and services are key to ending homelessness. She stressed along with state- and local-level work, federal investments can help squelch rising homelessness.
"Investments by Congress in housing affordability, that means rental assistance for everybody who is eligible for rental assistance," Oliva stressed. "Right now, only one out of every four households that's eligible for federal rental assistance can get it because of funding challenges."
Based on the Supreme Court's ruling, she feels ordinances criminalizing homelessness could increase. Even so, Oliva added all three levels of government should be aware of actual solutions to curb homelessness.
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Residents in a rural North Carolina town grappling with economic challenges are getting a pathway to homeownership.
In Enfield, the average annual income is about $25,000, while the average home price in the state exceeds $300,000. The significant gap between income and housing costs makes homeownership unattainable for many residents.
Mondale Robinson, mayor of Enfield, said it is an issue with which he is all too familiar, having grown up in the town. He acknowledged the dire housing conditions faced by many residents.
"Housing there is third-world," Robinson asserted. "And I know that term is not politically correct, but I use it intentionally to remind people that while we may be in the so-called richest country in the world, my people are suffering from houses that are killing them."
He pointed out many people in the town are living things like severe mold or failing foundations. Recognizing the challenges posed by limited resources both on a town and federal level, Robinson explained he is tackling the issue by forming partnerships with construction firms and lending institutions. He noted through the Horizon Project, they aim to build energy-efficient homes priced affordably at about $105,000.
Robinson highlighted historically, the majority of Black residents there have been marginalized from experiencing positive changes in their neighborhoods. He explained previous investments focused on constructing homes that were unaffordable for the community. Robinson expressed optimism the initiative will serve as a foundation for achieving long-term equality and stability.
"We had a qualification seminar where we brought people in to see if they qualify for homes," Robinson recounted. "Of those 400 people that showed up, 174 already prequalified and have already started ordering their model homes and on the process to become homeowners."
He added families who qualify will receive smart homes with two to four bedrooms, an opportunity most people living on an hourly wage in the town would not have had access to.
In addition to the housing aspect of the project, Robinson emphasized the importance of economic development and sustainability. He said they will offer training to help new homeowners maintain their property.
He stressed another major part of the Horizon project is meant to help promote growth in the town and return ownership to the people who live there.
"When all of these new houses pop up in this rural space, we know what's to follow, businesses to follow," Robinson projected. "Also, we're looking for the mental victory that folk feel when they've purchased a home, alleviating the fact that you have a landlord that is not concerned with how your health is affected by the house you're living in."
By addressing housing affordability and promoting economic empowerment, Robinson hopes the Horizon Project will serve as a blueprint for similar initiatives across North Carolina and beyond. Qualified families will move into new homes by June, while ongoing support aims to assist others in future qualification.
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