If you live in Cook County, behind on your mortgage payments, and received a foreclosure summons:
To obtain help finding a HUD certified housing counselor, call 1(877) 895-2444, and request FREE housing counseling, legal aid
and/or mediation services. Check below for a listing of FREE and private legal service providers.
Visit www.cookcountyforeclosurehelp.org for information. To schedule a free meeting with a housing counselor – the first step in
the mediation process – homeowners who have received a court summons can call our toll-free help line at
1(877) 895-2444 / (312.836.5222 TDD) or use our online appointment request form.
If you live in Cook County, behind on your mortgage payments, and have not received a foreclosure summons:
Homeowners who are concerned about their mortgages, but who have not received a summons from the court and are not currently
in foreclosure should call 1(877) 895-2444 and ask for FREE housing counseling from a HUD certified counselor, or ask for legal aid
or mediation services. Click here to be directed to the US Dept of Housing and Developmet (HUD) website for more information
regarding Foreclosure Avoidance Counseling.
To understand the Foreclosure Process, click here. Or call 1(888) 995-HOPE (4673).
Beware of scams that ask you for money up front or ask you to sign away the deed to your house.
Reliable, HUD-certified help is always free.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers homeowners behind on their mortgages, including reverse mortgages, a step by
step guide.
The Making Home Affordable (MHA) is the Obama Administration's initiative that helps struggling homeowners get mortgage relief
through a variety of programs that aid in mortgage modifications, interest rate reductions, refinancing, deferred payment or
transitioning out of your home while avoiding foreclosure. Before you begin, please explore the available programs and learn more
about MHA. The more you understand your options, the easier it will be when you speak to a housing expert or your mortgage
servicer. Click here to be directed to that website. Click here to view ALL the programs available at MHA.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago Inc, in conjunction with Fannie Mae, has opened a Fannie Mae Mortgage Help Center
and Freddie Mac Help Center. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, opened its Chicago Mortgage Help Center. These partnerships with
NHS provides improved foreclosure prevention services. At the Center, borrowers will meet directly with dedicated, on-site
English- and Spanish-speaking staff and experienced housing counselors to discuss their mortgage situation.
The Mortgage Help Center is available by appointment only. Borrowers wishing to schedule a visit should call
1(866)442-8572. The Center is located at 1 South Wacker Drive, 15th Floor, Chicago 60606.
Homeowners can determine if Fannie Mae owns their loan by clicking here or by contacting Fannie Mae
at 1-800-7FANNIE.
The Chicago Freddie Mac Borrower Help Center is located at the NHS offices at 1279 N. Milwaukee Avenue, 5th floor, Chicago.
You can check if Freddie Mac owns your mortgage at https://ww3.freddiemac.com/corporate/.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan provides a homeowners’ referral help line that offers guidance on avoiding mortgage
foreclosures: (866) 544-7151. Click here to be directed to that website for more information on protecting your homeowners rights
and valuable consumer information.
Fannie Mae's Know Your Options website can guide you through your options and help you connect with a housing counselor,
including an interactive video guide to guide you to resources that fit your situation.
UNEMPLOYED AND/OR UNDEREMPLOYED HOMEOWNERS
The Illinois Hardest Hit Fund is a fund where you may be eligible to receive up to $25,000 for payment ad reinstatement assistance. If
you live in Illinois and have lost your job or experienced a loss of income, you may be eligible. Click here to be directed to that
website.
RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS: Have you fallen behind on your mortgage payments?
The Community Investment Corporation (CIC), is Chicagoland's Leading Multifamily Rehab Lender and provides owners of rental
property with 5 more units, various lending options & programs. They also offer landlord resources & training. Visit their website at
www.cicchicago.com/landlord-resources-training/ Or call them directly at (312) 258-0070 for more information.
The Preservation Compact brings together the region's public, private and nonprofit leaders to address the loss of affordable rental
housing stock in Cook County. Coordinated by Community Investment Corporation (CIC) with support from The John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Compact has six areas of focus to preserve and improve existing affordable rental homes
that might otherwise be lost to condominium conversion, demolition, or rising costs. Visit their website at: http://www.
preservationcompact.org/
The Neighborhood Housing Services may be able to help owners of rental property buildings with 4 or less units. Visit their website
www.nhschicago.org or call (773) 329-4010.
The Spanish Coalition for Housing offers bilingual support to landlords. For help, please contact them at (773) 342-7575 or visit their
website at www.sc4housing.org. Spanish Coalition for Housing ofrece apoyo bilingüe para propietarios. Para más información favor
de llamar (773) 342-7575 o visitar www.sc4housing.org.
Lakeside Community Development Corporation provides group workshops, special seminars, and individual counseling to
multifamily building owners and managers. Please contact Bibian Guevara, Rental Housing Advocate, at (773) 381-5253 or visit their
website www.lakesidecdc.org for more information.
MORTGAGE / LENDER INFORMATION
If you have a Chase or EMC loan and are struggling to make payments, you can call the Chase consumer hotline at
1(866) 550-5705 or visit one of three Chicago region Chase Homeownership Centers to discuss your situation with loan counselor:
Chicago--North, 5813 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, (773) 594-7670
Chicago--South, 4730 W. 79th St., Chicago, (773) 284-5854
Chicago--West, 1836 N. Broadway St., Melrose Park, (708) 450-3702
If you have a CitiMortgage, click here for more information about their Foreclosure Alternatives Program.
If you have a Bank of America mortgage, click here for more information about their Earned Principal Forgiveness Program
RESOURCES FOR HOUSING FRAUD OR DISCRIMINATION
If you have a complaint about applying for a mortgage, trying to receive a loan modification, or any other part of the mortgage and
foreclosure process here is a list of places you can file a complaint either online or by calling,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - https://help.consumerfinance.gov/app/mortgage/ask
State Mortgage Fraud investigators - 1(800) 532.8785.
Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation - http://www.obre.state.il.us or call 1(877) 793.3470.
Illinois Attorney General's Office Lisa Madigan - http://illinoisattorneygeneral.gov
To file a complaint against a national bank, visit http://www.helpwithmybank.gov/
Should you have a specific problem with a financial institution other than a national bank, contact the customer assistance groups of
these organizations:
For Credit Unions, contact the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) click here for their website.
For State Banks, contact the State Banking Department the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), or Federal Reserve.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, (OCC) primary mission is to charter, regulate, and supervise all national banks and
federal savings associations. We also supervise the federal branches and agencies of foreign banks. Our goal in supervising banks
and federal savings associations is to ensure that they operate in a safe and sound manner and in compliance with laws requiring
fair treatment of their customers and fair access to credit and financial products. Click here for their website.
To file a complaint against a bank, click here.
STATE REFINANCE PROGRAMS
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Finally Home Program helps Illinois residents purchase or refinance a home if they have difficulty
qualifying for a mortgage. This provides an alternative to predatory loans that can lead to foreclosure.
LEGAL ASSISTANCE RESOURCES
Free or Low-cost
CARPLS Legal Aid Hotline at (312) 738-9200 for legal advice and referral to legal aid for low-income residents of Cook County
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago at (312) 341-1070 (LAF does not handle cases of landlords in foreclosure)
Chicago Volunteer Legal Services at (312) 332-1624
Chicago Legal Clinic at (773) 731-1762
Illinois Legal Aid Online offers legal information about a variety of mortgage problems for homeowners and renters whose buildings
are in foreclosure.
Private Bar
The Chicago Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral Service (312/554-2001
if you want to hire a lawyer, lawyers are available to talk with you for a small fee)
The Illinois State Bar Lawyer Finder (800/922-8757
if you want to hire a lawyer, lawyers are available to talk with you for a small fee)
The National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA)
if you want to hire a lawyer to represent you in case of fraudulent, predatory or abusive business practices.
RESOURCE FOR RENTERS
Wondering what your rights are as a tenant of a building in foreclosure? Consult this pamphlet (also in Spanish and Polish) for more
information.
CARPLS Legal Aid Hotline at (312) 738-9200 for legal advice and referral to legal aid
Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (312) 347-7600 resources on tenants’ rights, foreclosure help, discrimination, legal aid, and
more.
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago (312) 341-1070
Illinois Legal Aid Online offers legal information for renters whose landlords are in foreclosure.
OTHER RESOURCES
Click on these links to read tips for avoiding foreclosure:
http://www.hud.gov
http://www.freddiemac.com
http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/
File a complaint against your lender, visit: http://www.affil.org/get_active/complaint.php
Seek free or low cost legal aid:
Illinois Legal Aid, visit their website at: http://www.illinoislegalaid.org/
IRS, visit their website at: http://www.irs.gov
Find a lawyer who is a member of the National Association of Consumer Advocates (NACA) to represent you in case of fraudulent,
predatory or abusive business practices, visit http://www.naca.net/find-attorney
ILLINOIS HOUSING & FORECLOSURE INFORMATION
Housing Action Illinois is addressing the foreclosure crisis through a four-part initiative which includes: training housing
counselors; engaging the mortgage market; increasing resources and technical assistance for housing counseling agencies; and
working with local stakeholders to address the foreclosure crisis in their communities. Through training and technical assistance,
Housing Action helps to build the capacity of Illinois housing counseling agencies so they are well equipped to deal with the
foreclosure crisis.
ILLINOIS HUD
Freddie Mac Advice on Avoiding Foreclosure
Federal Reserve Mortgage Foreclosure Resources
Illinois Housing Development Authority Foreclosure Information & Assistance
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