National Urban League And Atlanta Urban League Hosting Free Housing Rescue & Career Fair In Atlanta

Oct. 21, 2010 - PRLog -- With over 58,000 area residents facing the threat of foreclosure and 10.4 percent unemployment, the Atlanta Urban League (AUL) and the National Urban League (NUL) offers residents the opportunity to get immediate help at one location.  The 2010 Economic Empowerment Tour featuring the “Restore Our Homes: Housing Rescue Fair and Career Fair” will be held in Atlanta tomorrow, October 21st from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, located at 265 Peachtree Center Avenue Northeast in the city’s downtown business district.

The comprehensive, one-stop housing and employment event will provide concerned homeowners direct access to one-on-one sessions with certified Housing Counselors and lending institutions to negotiate resolutions, plus free legal advice, and workshops on sustaining and maintaining homeownership.

“The National Urban League has been dedicated to economic empowerment in urban communities for many decades and President Marc Morial has devoted his career to empowering underserved communities across the country,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. “The City of Atlanta is honored and very pleased to host The Economic Empowerment Tour in partnership with the National Urban League and the Atlanta Urban League.”  

“Slow job growth threatens the city’s viability and an event like this will connect Atlanta residents to local job opportunities and will provide a much needed service for those struggling with foreclosure,” Mayor Reed added.

With more than 58,000 Atlanta families currently in some stage of default on their mortgage and in danger of foreclosure, and over 275,215, unemployed people in the metro area, Atlanta is one of three cities selected by the National Urban League to host the Economic Empowerment Tour’s “Restore Our Homes: Housing Fair and Career Fair” in 2010.  

Last year, Economic Empowerment Tour events helped over 4,672, people, and provided 1,700 job opportunities and counseling for 1,245 homeowners. Many participants were hired on the spot by local employers and all of those counseled in the housing fairs have had their cases moved towards resolution.

“The economic equality gap continues to widen as the recession stubbornly persists,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League.  “While 9.6% of Americans are currently unemployed, multicultural communities are disproportionately vulnerable to the higher incidence of unemployment, often resulting in the loss of their homes.   The Economic Empowerment Tour offers homeowners the necessary resources that may help families save their homes and find jobs. It is crucial to move beyond fear and worry and to take action.  In Atlanta, we will work closely to reinforce the message that the Atlanta Urban League is on the ground every day helping families secure job skills and employment and hold to homes.”

The Process of Renegotiation of Mortgages Starts at Event

Certified housing counselors and representatives from lenders and mortgage servicers - Bank of America, Chase, Citi, GMAC, HSBC, PNC, Saxon, SunTrust, US Bank, and Wells Fargo - and attorneys will meet individually with homeowners to address their needs.

The Restore Our Homes: Housing Rescue Fair component of the Atlanta tour stop is also part of the Alliance for Stabilizing Our Communities, a national partnership of non-profit organizations including the National Urban League, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD), which is supported by Bank of America.  

The Career and Resource Fair portion of the event will feature over 50 local employers, educational institutions and workforce development partners. Companies planning to attend include Comcast, UPS and Grady Health Center, which has over 500 positions available, and many more. All employers will be providing job opportunities and will be ready to interview candidates onsite.

“Through our workforce development and housing counseling programs, the Atlanta Urban League works daily with local residents who are facing extraordinary economic hardships,” said Nancy Flake Johnson, President and CEO, Atlanta Urban League. “The Economic Empowerment Tour’s employment and housing fairs will enable us to join with local employers, job skills trainers, banks, lenders and other housing counseling agencies to provide comprehensive one-stop assistance to local residents and help to change the lives of hundreds of families.”  

The scheduling of the tour stop in Atlanta is significant for area residents since there are currently over 58,000 homeowners who are one or more months behind and in danger of losing their homes, (HUD Neighborhood Watch website www.hud.gov). This rising tide of foreclosure is impacting African Americans even more significantly.  According to federal data, people of color are three times more likely to have subprime loans: high cost loans account for 55% of loans to blacks, but only 17% of loans to whites.  .  

The number of foreclosures is also significantly tied to the rise in unemployment, putting families in a double bind.  According to the State Labor Department, Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate shot up to 10.4 percent in August, from 10.1 percent in July. Homeowners in need of assistance or seeking more information about the 2010 Economic Empowerment Tour featuring the “Restore Our Homes Housing Rescue Fair and Career Fair," should contact the Atlanta Urban League at 404-659-1150 or go to www.atlul.org.

About the Alliance for Stabilizing Our Communities

The Alliance for Stabilizing Our Communities is a national partnership of non-profit, community-based organizations’ whose programs’ serve multicultural communities nationwide. The National Urban League, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD) with funding from Bank of America to provide resources and counseling to homeowners with the greatest need.  The National Urban League Economic Empowerment Tour is funded by the Alliance for Stabilizing Communities supported by Bank of America, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ford Motor Company

About the Atlanta Urban League
Founded in 1920, the Atlanta Urban League was organized to encourage, assist and engage in activities which lead to the improvement of opportunities and economic empowerment of underserved persons and families in Metropolitan Atlanta.  The League helps people achieve their highest human potential through pathways to empowerment programs that support enhancing educational attainment, accessing employment and next level careers, homeownership and foreclosure prevention, small business development, health and welfare.

About the National Urban League
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy. Today, there are more than 100 local affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people nationwide. For more information go to www.nul.org / www.iamempowered.com.


MEDIA  
CONTACTS:

Diane Larche' , Atlanta Urban League
                            (404) 273-3227
                            diane@larchecommunications.com

Martine Charles, National Urban League
                    (206) 295-9114
             martine@commentpr.com