FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 2, 2011
Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps
Contact: Nichole Greene  (517) 775-0435
Steve Tobocman (313) 516-9681

LANSING, MI- CEDAM and the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force, in partnership with the Michigan Coalition Against Homelessness, are pleased to report the successful first year of the Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps (MFPC). The MFPC is an initiative designed to help combat foreclosures in Michigan by providing AmeriCorps members to nonprofit housing counseling agencies across the state. From the fall of 2009 until the fall of 2010, MFPC placed AmeriCorps members in agencies from Saint Ignace to Detroit. These members provide foreclosure prevention services, community outreach and education. This program continues today and is currently scheduled to run through the fall of 2012. To date, the MFPC has completed 41,000 hours of service and has impacted more than 27,000 Michigan home owners.

“The agencies on the front line of the foreclosure crisis are often underfunded, which makes serving clients difficult,” notes Jamie Schriner-Hooper, Executive Director of CEDAM. “This is the only program of its kind in the country. Not only does it provide critical resources to the counseling agencies, but the AmeriCorps program has been shown to act as a pipeline for keeping talented people working in our communities.” According to a national study commissioned by the Corporation for National and Community Service, 60% of AmeriCorps alumni stay in nonprofit or governmental work following their service. They are also more likely to remain in the areas in which they served.

The MFPC is made possible through the generous support of Bank of America and the Michigan Community Service Commission.  “Bank of America focuses on providing support to organizations that have a crucial impact on the economic and social vitality of our neighborhoods. While providing more than $4 million dollars in funding across the state of Michigan, Bank of America is proud to support a program that addresses the foreclosure crisis head on. While there is still much work to be done, the success of the Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps is an excellent example of utilizing resources to make a difference,” remarked Tiffany S. Douglas, Market Manager for Bank of America-Michigan.

The Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM), a nonprofit organization, represents hundreds of organizations and individuals committed to rebuilding our neighborhoods and revitalizing communities throughout Michigan. CEDAM is a membership association of primarily nonprofit community development corporations (CDCs), community action agencies and other nonprofits that provide affordable and supportive housing to our most vulnerable citizens, encourage downtown and commercial corridor revitalization, provide workforce and entrepreneurship training and help families develop and maintain assets to better their lives.

2010-2011 Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps Sites:
Center for Financial Health (Lansing)
Community Action Agency of Jackson, Hillsdale and Lenawee County
Flint Neighborhood Improvement Preservation Project
H.O.M.E of Mackinac County
Home Repair Services (Grand Rapids)
Inner City Christian Federation (Grand Rapids)
Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services
Lighthouse Community Development Oakland County
Metro Community Development (Flint)
Michigan State University Extension- Ionia County
Michigan State University Extension- Macomb County
Northeast Michigan Affordable Housing Inc. (Alpena)
Northern Homes Community Development Corporation
Northwest Michigan Community Action Agency
Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency (Pontiac)
United Community Housing Coalition (Detroit)
U-SNAP-BAC (Detroit)
Wayne  County Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Program & United Way of Southeastern Michigan
Wayne Metro Community Action Agency (Wyandotte)

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure, please contact one of the agencies above, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s hotline 866-946-7432, or visit their website: www.michigan.gov/mshda.