A call-in service that has helped hundreds of Iowa homeowners facing foreclosure will continue, if a bill approved Thursday in a Senate committee becomes law. Cedar Rapids Democrat Rob Hogg managed the bill which would extend the Mortgage Help Hotline for another year.
“This hotline has been very successful in helping people avoid foreclosure before they get to that point,” Hogg said. Counselors at the hotline help homeowners navigate the paperwork of dealing with lenders and in some cases negotiate new terms for troubled loans.
“I had a constituent who I referred to (the hotline),” Hogg said. “She was delighted with the help they were able to provide. She told me, ‘finally I had someone who could talk to and help me get through this.'” The bill would also change Iowa law to allow some home owners to stay in their homes even after foreclosure.
A spokeswoman for the hotline says calls have tapered off slightly, but they’re still hearing from hundreds of troubled homeowners. An investigation continues at the Iowa Attorney General’s office into alleged improper practices by the nation’s home lenders.