Mortgage woes? Kane County wants to help

As the slowing economy affects more and more people, Kane County wants to let homeowners know where to get help.

The county has launched a public relations campaign to inform homeowners -- those facing foreclosures or simply tight budgets -- what resources are available to them.

"This is catastrophic," said Kane County Board Chair Karen McConnaughay on Thursday. "This is not only a problem for homeowners, but for the entire community."

In 2006, there were about 1,600 foreclosures in the county, and in 2007 there were about 2,300.

With almost 1,900 notices of foreclosure filed this year already, officials predict the count could top 4,000 the end of December.

The county approved a $55,000 grant from its riverboat grant program to fund the effort. It doesn't create new programs but pulls together information about foreclosure counseling, emergency home repairs, tax exemptions and other homeowner resources.

"If our residents don't know about the services, they can't very well use them," McConnaughay said.

County staff members have been giving presentations at town and community meetings and plan several community clinics this summer and fall.

They are also sending out pamphlets of information to the homeowners who have a notice of foreclosure filed against them each week.

The first homeowner clinic will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 12 at the Dundee Park District Senior Center in Carpentersville.

Other meetings planned are Sept. 6 in Geneva, Sept. 20 in Elgin and Oct. 18 in Aurora.

More information is available on the county's Web site at www.countyofkane.org.

Where to go for help

These services are available to some Kane County residents facing homeowner or foreclosure issues:

Community Contacts

Emergency home repair program, loans to fix code violations

Call: (847) 697-8800

Web: www.cci-hci.org

Neighborhood Housing Services of the Fox Valley

Foreclosure counseling, first-time home buyer program

Call: (847) 695-0399

Web: www.nhsofelgin.org

Habitat for Humanity

Affordable housing

Call: (847) 836-1432 or (630) 859-3333

Web: www.hfhnfv.org or www.foxvalleyhabitat.org

Joseph Corp.

Foreclosure counseling

Call: (630) 906-9400

Web: josephcorporation.org

Source: Kane County