Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation supports fight against predatory lending
January 22, 2007 MEDIA RELEASE
(Raleigh, NC) – The
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
announced a new grant award of $300,000 to
Legal Aid
of North Carolina (LANC) in support of its efforts to combat predatory
lending and help working families save their homes from foreclosure.
The grant provides funding for the Fair Lending and Home Defense Project
(FLHDP), which is a collaboration of seven nonprofit organizations:
Legal Aid of North Carolina, the NC Justice Center, the Legal Aid Society of Northwest
NC, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, Pisgah legal Services, the
Financial Protection Center and the NC Housing Coalition.
The project is the merger of the Foundation’s two previous grants over the
past three years to Legal Aid of North Carolina (LANC) and the
NC Justice Center
(Justice Center) into one unified effort and additional partners for
this statewide effort. The project will bring focused attention on
particular issues identified by the partners’ previous work, using a
combination of litigation, legislative, research, community engagement and
media strategies.
LANC will use practice resources to continue to build its capacity to combat
foreclosure primarily in the eastern part of the state and in the western
areas outside of the aegis of its project partners. The
Legal Aid Society of
Northwest NC will focus on the Winston-Salem area;
Legal Services of Southern
Piedmont will focus on the Charlotte area; and
Pisgah Legal Services
will focus on the Asheville area.
In addition, the Justice Center and the
Financial Protection Law Center will review and provide litigation
support n advance cases. The Justice Center will also coordinate
training and implementation of best practices, tactics and strategies for
the individual cases, which include predatory lending, foreclosure, fair
housing and deceptive trade practice defenses, as well as the option for
bankruptcy. The NC
Housing Coalition will provide outreach and education in support of the
project by holding community forums with other legal partners to educate
consumers, link them with legal advocates and engage community members in
policy discussions related to fair lending.
“The continued financial support of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation has
been critical to this vital, legal services project,” said George Hausen,
LANC’s executive director. “Foreclosures in North Carolina are up
nearly 200% over the past few years, and the Foundation’s enlightened
understanding of the problem and its scope has resulted in our ability to
expand our response to help hundreds more families and to leverage the
interest and financial support of other critical players."
The Z. Smith Reynolds
Foundation was established in 1936 and has given more than $366 million
in grants to projects in all 100 North Carolina counties. The
Foundation now gives special attention to the following focus areas –
community economic development; democracy and civic engagement; environment;
pre-collegiate education; and social justice and equity.
Legal Aid
of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that provides free
legal services in civil matters to eligible, low-income people in all 100
counties in North Carolina through 24, geographically located offices in
North Carolina. LANC’s clients typically have an annual income of 125%
or less of the federally established poverty levels.
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CONTACTS:
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George R. Hausen, Jr. (Executive Director, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC)
919-856-2564
Dock Kornegay (Director, Public Relations & Development, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC) 919-856-2564
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ATTACHMENT:
Partners 2007 Fair Lending and Home Defense Project
The Fair Lending and Home Defense Project (FLHDP) promotes the financial
stability of low-income working families and seniors by improving financial
literacy; preserves home ownership and home equity defending foreclosures;
and stops predatory practices that destabilize communities and reduce
wealth. The implementation of the FLHDP includes participation by
seven partnering organizations in North Carolina:
Legal Aid
of North Carolina (LANC) is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in order
to ensure equal access to justice and to remove barriers to economic
opportunity. LANC has an administrative office in Raleigh and has 24
field offices across North Carolina.
NC Justice Center (Justice Center) is nonprofit anti-poverty
organization whose mission is to reduce and eliminate poverty in North
Carolina by helping to ensure that every North Carolina household gains
access to the resources, services and fair treatment that it needs in order
to enjoy economic security. The Justice Center’s office is located in
Raleigh.
Legal Aid Society of NW
NC (LASNNC) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is provide equal
access to the civil justice system for the low-income residents of its
service area. The LASNNC office is located in Winston-Salem.
Legal Services of Southern
Piedmont (LSSP) is a nonprofit organization that provides legal
assistance in civil matters to low-income persons in the Charlotte area and
in west-central North Carolina. The LSSP office is located in
Charlotte.
Pisgah Legal Services
(PLS) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide
high-quality, effective legal services to help low-income people meet basic
needs; to ensure equal justice for all; and to advance and protect the legal
rights of low-income people. The PLS office is located in Asheville.
Financial Protection Law Center (FPLC) is a nonprofit law firm that
advocates against predatory lending practices throughout North Carolina.
The FPLC office is located in Durham.
NC Housing Coalition (NCHC) is a statewide, nonprofit organization whose
mission is to lead a campaign for housing to ensure that working families,
people in crisis, seniors, and persons with disabilities may live with
dignity and opportunity.
Disclaimer
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purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Please contact your
Legal Aid of North Carolina office or a private attorney if you need to speak to
an attorney regarding your particular situation. See our complete
disclaimer.
Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.