Relief Pitchers Donned By Community Leaders To Highlight Foreclosure Menace

October 1st, 2008 | Tags: Foreclosure

Over 100 community leaders including representatives from the clergy, employers, non-profit groups, politicians and union heads donned relief pitchers on their heads to highlight the foreclosure menace. This demonstration was held after the conclusion of a string of talks in Downtown Wilmington. The focus was on why there were so many foreclosures and what the families at risk could do about it. Also on the menu was what the community leaders could offer in the way of help to streamline the process of getting help.

Lt. Governor John C. Carney’s Task Force had convened the Relief Pitchers conference. The co-sponsors were seven in number and consisted of representatives from political party, banks, chamber of commerce, housing authority and counseling agencies. It was in response to a complaint that the loan servicers were never able to work out solutions so as to save houses from foreclosure. It will be followed by a more detailed and active plan to contain the foreclosure menace. Saundra Johnson of DSHA explained, “In baseball, a relief pitcher is called in when things aren’t going so well for the team. The outcome of the game hangs in the balance.”

According to studies it is the fear factor that dominates the minds of the borrowers and prevents them from thinking calmly and proceeding to tackle the foreclosure menace. A few timely appropriate messages from leaders would go a long way in helping to keep families in the houses that are their homes.

Lt. Governor Carney says that about seven out of ten loans are seriously at foreclosure risk and they have no link with the loan servicers. This lapse not only increases the risk of foreclosure but also raises the probability of more vacant properties to blight the neighbourhood. In a chain reaction tax revenue is lost too. Thus the fundamental thing is to make the borrowers aware of the help that is available. It is to their best advantage and interest to talk with others and find out.

Reverend Maurice Butler also spoke at the meeting. He is the pastor of Elizabeth African-American Methodist Episcopal Church. He got to the heart of the matter by talking about fundamentals like gas and bread. When these two become the prime issue one tends to get distracted from the housing problem until the roof is ready to be blown off by the foreclosure storm.