SILS Helps Family of Seven Stay in their Home

NY1 has the story of Staten Island Legal Services clients who were able to obtain a Mortgage Assistance Program grant which enabled them to stay in their home.

Willie Colon and his six children moved into their home in West Brighton more than 10 years ago.

But
in 2005, Colon was diagnosed with a medical condition that forced him
to retire from his state job in security and his involvement in the
National Guard.

Before Colon received his retirement benefits, he was put on half pay, which caused him to fall behind on his mortgage payments.

"I
notified the bank and I told them, 'Listen, I have the money but I
cannot pay the balance that I owe, that I fell behind,' which is, like,
$50,000."

Colon tried to modify his mortgage but was denied by his bank. That is when he started receiving foreclosure notices.

"The way I felt, it was like I didn't have no chance," he says. "I figured my house was gone."

Colon turned to Staten Island Legal services, which told him he qualified for a Mortgage Assistance Program or MAP loan.

"A
lot of the people we have funded so far are firemen, nurses, livery cab
drivers," says Christie Peale, the executive director for the Center
For NYC Neighborhoods. "These are people who are, on average, making
between $50,000 and $60,000 per year. They're struggling to make
mortgage payments that are usually pretty high."

Click here to view the full story at NY1.com.

MAP is funded by the City of New York through the Department of
Housing Preservation and Development, as well as through private
donations, including a grant from the Ford Foundation. Sustainable
Neighborhoods LLC, an affiliate of Center for NYC Neighborhoods (CNYCN),
is the administrator of MAP.

In order to apply for MAP, homeowners must work with a free legal
services provider (such as SILS and other Legal Services NYC programs)
or qualified housing counselor. For more information on the MAP program, click here.