Preventing Foreclosure on Tampa TV

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NEWS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 31, 2008


COUNTY CONNECTION PROGRAM TURNS THE CAMERAS ON PREVENTING FORECLOSURE
First airing on Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 5:30 p.m.
HTV – Hillsborough Television
Brighthouse Channel 622, Verizon and Comcast Channel 22


Hillsborough Television’s (HTV) County Connection program will take on the timely issue of foreclosure the second week of January. Guests representing local and national housing efforts will explain ways residents can take advantage of foreclosure prevention programs and funding assistance that could save their homes.

The program will pay a behind-the-scenes visit to the Clerk of the Circuit Court offices to reveal boxes filled with foreclosure applications and employees who have been pulled from other divisions to help with the unexpected workload. Foreclosure applications have doubled every year since 2006, with a total of 18,878 foreclosure applications being received through November 2008.

Valmarie Turner, Director of the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Department, will discuss the department’s HomeSavers Program for residents in danger of losing their homes and the nationally-funded Neighborhood Stabilization Program which is being used to purchase abandoned and foreclosed homes for rehabilitation.

Chloe Coney, district director for U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor, will discuss workshops sponsored by their office that helps connect homeowners with counseling organizations for help on the spot, as well as national funding available for foreclosure prevention efforts.

Bill Sanchez of the Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation also will relate firsthand accounts of homeowners who are facing their biggest fears and how HUD-approved counseling services can help residents avoid scams and save their homes.

County Connection is a weekly question-and-answer program hosted by Jerome Ritchey that addresses important community issues. County Connection airs new episodes on HTV every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with encore airings of the show throughout the week.

For complete schedule information go to www.htv22.org.

For more information contact Tammy Peralta, HTV Station Manager at (813) 276-2675.