While not known for their efforts to help existing homeowners, Rhode Island Housing is a winner of a 2009 Justice Award in the category of Consumer Protection. The awards are given in recognition of an extraordinary commitment to justice exhibited by members of the community.
“We are honored to have the work of our HelpCenter recognized by Attorney General Lynch,” says Richard Godfrey, Executive Director of Rhode Island Housing. “At the onset of this unprecedented housing crisis, other counseling agencies were simply overwhelmed. With our receipt of federal funding, Rhode Island Housing has seen over 5,000 Rhode Islanders walk through the doors of our HelpCenter. Some were victims of predatory lending, others of scams that followed offers to ‘save their homes.’ For others, it was the loss of jobs and the economic crisis that brought on their struggles. Many factors have come together to put Rhode Island homeowners in crisis.”
Adds Godfrey, “Our HelpCenter provides a safe place for advice and education when it comes to protecting both homeowners and tenants from foreclosure, or coping with the loss of a home. Here in Rhode Island, which is currently ranked 11th in the nation for foreclosure activity, distressed homeowners are at particularly high risk of predators.”
“By reaching people at the first sign of trouble, we can offer them more options,” says Godfrey. “To date, our efforts have not only kept many homeowners seeking assistance in their homes, we have prevented many more from falling prey to those offering false promises and steep fees for foreclosure assistance. Our efforts continue to help homeowners in trouble arm themselves with the tools and information they need to protect themselves against fraud, avoid housing trouble, or find a safe solution to their situation that best meets their needs.”
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