Displaced Worker Avoids Foreclosure and Receives Job Training

The Greater Cincinnati area is plagued by rising foreclosure rates. Due in part to persisting unemployment and underemployment, 2,940 Hamilton County households filed for foreclosure in 2010. In addition, both foreclosure listings and completed sales are up from 2009, providing additional incentive for lenders to pursue foreclosure proceedings.

In October of 2009, Ron was laid off from his position as an electrician, where he had worked for thirty years. His wife also lost her job around the same time, and was then unable to return to the workforce because of health issues.

Ron immediately approached his bank to explain the situation, and was successful in negotiating a temporary agreement, which he followed to the letter. Though he put as much money as he could into the newly established escrow account, he was still behind on his mortgage payments when he approached Working In Neighborhoods (WIN).

WIN provides counseling to families and individuals at risk of foreclosure, helping them negotiate a loan modification or a refinance agreement with their lenders. WIN negotiated with Ron’s lender and provided budget counseling. They referred him to additional resources for which he was eligible. As stipulated in their agreement, Ron tracked his expenses and provided regular updates on his job search.

Ron was unsuccessful in finding gainful employment seven months into his job search. With a referral to Super Jobs, another United Way agency partner, for job training, Ron was thrilled to secure a scholarship to attend trucking school.

While still in the program, Ron contacted top trucking companies, making in-roads to possible job openings. After he graduated at the top of his class, he received an offer within a week, and now makes more money than he ever did in 30 years of electrical work. In addition, Ron successfully secured the $5,000 he needed to submit his mortgage payments in full.

As taxpayers and neighbors, we are all affected by the hidden costs of foreclosure. As families lose their homes and connections to their communities, neighborhoods deteriorate, and municipalities face additional financial burdens to inspect, maintain, or demolish foreclosed and vacant properties, United Way is committed in our partnership efforts to continue providing solutions for individuals and families to increase income, establish savings, achieve home ownership, and enhance economic self-sufficiency.