SC Ministry Foundation (Cincinnati) supports long-term programs at not-for-profit organizations that have a track record of success. In the last 18 months, Legal Aid has:
- Stopped Foreclosures: Legal Aid and Volunteer Lawyers for the Poor attorneys saved the homes of 30 Price Hill families through individual legal representation in court.
- Fixed/Torn Down Blighted Property: Legal Aid’s work resulted in nine blighted properties in Price Hill being fixed or torn down and assisted in efforts to reduce the number of blighted properties and vacant buildings through legislative advocacy that secured the passage of a city ordinance that allows for lenders to be cited for code violations when a property is vacant, blighted, and in foreclosure.
- Advocated for Policy Changes: Legal Aid assisted Price Hill Will in brining a lawsuit against Deutsche Bank, Wells Fargo, and Citibank for blighted properties that the lenders owned. The litigation continues against Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo, but has resulted in some reductions in the number of blighted properties owned by these two lenders in Price Hill. Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo fixed up 5 blighted properties in Price Hill as a result of the litigation.
- Increased Safety: Legal Aid askedDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to address the safety concerns at the properties that it owned. HUD has addressed the concerns at four of the properties, including demolishing a condemned garage. Legal Aid has continued to ask HUD to insist that lenders maintain FHA-insured properties in compliance with local housing and health codes.
Legal Aid’s project “Stabilizing Neighborhoods through Secure Housing” started because of the negative impact of predatory lending practices on homeowners and neighborhoods. This was nine years ago, when the economy was still strong; now, with a weakened economy, foreclosure rates are headline news. SC Ministry Foundation has supported the “Stabilizing Neighborhoods” project since 2004 because of its strong track record of success.
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Tags: Advocacy, charity, Cincinnati, housing, Sisters
