Jan 24, 2008 8:29 am US/Eastern
Broward Creates Task Force To Tackle Foreclosures
KENDALL (CBS4) ―
It's still very much a work in progress, but it's a massive effort started by Legal Aid of Broward County. They see the "for sale" signs; they talk to the average homeowner who feels the threat of foreclosure, and they see desperation.
But now it appears elected officials throughout Broward want to join together and give homeowners a place to go for help.
South Florida foreclosures are piling up because of the current mortgage and overall economic crisis.
"They continually kept increasing the legal costs until it became unbearable," said Lauren Panton.
She nearly lost her home because of a $200 homeowner's payment. The legal fees kept escalating until it cost her $3,000 dollars to save her home.
"I'm able to stand up and bring the thing to a halt, so I could take a look at it, but most of the people in the community won't be able to do that and so they're homeless," Panton added.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Carlton Moore plans to join forces with Legal Aid of Broward County, and other elected officials, to fight the foreclosure crisis.
"It is going to have a negative impact on communities that have been building a quality of life for their families," said Moore. "And now that you have a number of abandoned problems it's going to lead to a number of other problems."
Behind all the "for sale" signs and foreclosure filings, Legal Aid sees a lack of education and a lack of a coordinated effort to provide resources to struggling homeowners. They hope a panel of elected officials and business partners can address the foreclosure crisis head on--with training and even small grants.
They believe that can save homes, save jobs and save communities.
"The first thing is awareness. The second thing is that government will step in and look out for its' people."
Panton survived the fear of losing her home, but one look at the numbers show how many others are not so lucky.
Experts say one foreclosure in a neighborhood decreases nearby home values by nearly one percent. The item of creating a task force is expected to be discussed by the Broward County Commission on February 5th.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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