In the Spring of 2010, Lakeside Community Development Corporation (CDC) obtained funding for outreach to let people know about the Circuit Court of Cook County’s Foreclosure Mediation Program. This program provides a Housing Counselor, a Lawyer and a Mediator, all FREE of charge, funded by the Cook County budget.
The mediation program was created as the result of an organizing campaign spearheaded by Action NOW and conducted by a coalition of community organizations including Northside P.O.W.E.R. Both Lakeside CDC and St. Peter’s U.C.C. Skokie are members of Northside P.O.W.E.R. (NsP). Beth Lanford of St. Peter’s U.C.C. has a personal self interest in this issue. One of her brothers lives in a state where lenders do not have to get a court order of foreclosure. All the lender has to do is put an ad in the local paper announcing the time of the house’s auction. The lender then mails the ad to the homeowner. So people drove by her brother’s house, checking it out as a possible investment. He was wondering what was going on. That is until he received the ad in the mail!
So, when Beth was approached with the opportunity of helping homeowners save their homes, she was ALL FOR IT. It turns out that her story is not the only one out there. So many people are in foreclosure for a variety of reasons.
With the help of NsP and Lakeside CDC, St. Peter’s U.C.C. began to organize a door knocking campaign in Skokie. Lakeside provided the walk sheets, and St. Peter’s the door knockers. Door knockers approach people in foreclosure and provide information on the Mediation program, urging them to call and get into the program.
Next, St. Peter’s approached the Village of Skokie to explore coordinating efforts reaching out to homeowners in foreclosure. St. Peter’s met with Mayor George Van Dusen and the assistant Village manager John Lockerby.
As a result of these meetings an agreement was reached that ended duplication of efforts and continues to explore possible channels of cooperation. This led to Mayor George Van Dusen’s special appearance at the Northside P.O.W.E.R. – MLK Sunday Public Meeting on January 16th, 2011.
The work is not done! If you want to get involved with this exciting outreach, call St. Peter’s U.C.C. at (847) 673.8166.