Mr. and Mrs. Young fell behind on their mortgage payments after Mr. Young lost his job. Mr. and Mrs. Davis purchased their home in 1965 and refinanced it in 2002. They have a fixed income from social security, and when their interest rate adjusted up, and Mr. Davis got sick, they fell behind on their payments.

These couples are just two of the thousands affected by the foreclosure crisis in Stark County and throughout the nation. The economic downturn, unexpected expenses, and rising interest rates have created a crisis for many families. April is the first year anniversary of Ohio's response to the crisis - the Save the Dream initiative. As the local partner for the effort Community Legal Aid has coordinated pro bono attorney and staff attorney efforts to keep families in their homes, and keep our neighborhoods stable.

Mr. and Mrs. Young attended a Legal Aid Foreclosure Class in Stark County after receiving foreclosure paperwork from the court. Upon review, their case was accepted for representation by Legal Aid Managing Attorney John Codrea. The couple filed a request for mediation. At mediation, the lender offered a loan modification that would lower the fixed rate on their mortgage, and their monthly payments. Mr. Young had recently found a new job, and upon consultation with Attorney Codrea, the couple decided that with his new income the renegotiated monthly payments were affordable.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis' case was placed with a Canton volunteer attorney. He represented them at mediation, and Mr. and Mrs. Davis and the lender came to a negotiated settlement. The loan agreement was modified with a lower interest rate with monthly payments the couple can afford. The lender also agreed to reduce fees and arrearages due. In total, the volunteer donated over 20 hours of his time to ensure that the couple could stay in their home.

The foreclosure crisis continues. Every day we receive more requests for help. We need your help so we can continue to provide assistance to those in need. If you are a volunteer, we thank you. If you are not, we urge you to call us at 877-401-0088 or visit the volunteering section of our website for information on how you can become a volunteer or supporter of Legal Aid.