Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Center for NYC Neighborhoods Executive Director Michael Hickey today announced $2.3 million in grants to 19 not-for-profit service providers to help homeowners at risk of mortgage foreclosure throughout the five boroughs.

The grants, which will be distributed by the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, the not-for-profit organization created by Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn in December 2007, will fund legal assistance, mortgage counseling and education services for the residents of New York City.

The center has provided housing counseling and legal services to roughly 1,000 New York City families in the second half of 2008, and with the new grants, the center will have the capacity to provide services to more than 6,000 families in 2009. In addition, next year the center will begin providing education services to up to 20,000 New Yorkers.

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn also announced that the center will establish a dedicated call center to handle foreclosure-related calls that come into 311, New York City’s customer service hotline.

“Although our City has not experienced the volume of home foreclosures that have devastated many other parts of the nation, too many New York families are in danger of losing their homes and the risk of foreclosure is increasing quickly,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Our Center for New York City Neighborhoods is working with New York City service providers to reduce that risk and help those who need it most. The 19 grants we are announcing today will fund legal assistance, mortgage counseling and education services for New Yorkers in all five boroughs. The threat of home foreclosure can be devastating to New York City’s families and neighborhoods, and we are absolutely committed to doing everything we can to minimize it.”

“Homeowners facing foreclosure often feel like they’re at the end of the road,” said Speaker Quinn. “Now, with the center for New York City Neighborhoods up and running, New Yorkers in these impossible situations have somewhere to turn. Stopping foreclosures before they get to the point of no return is not only good for individual families, it will help stabilize our economy during a time of financial uncertainty.  If you’re facing foreclosure, call 311 and see how CNYCN can help you.”

(YWN Desk – NYC)