Michigan Foreclosure Task Force

What is the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force?

The Michigan Foreclosure Task Force is a statewide clearinghouse and unified voice to keep families, including homeowners and renters, in their homes despite the foreclosure crisis currently plaguing Michigan communities. The Task Force is also focused on addressing the impacts of concentrated foreclosures on neighborhoods across the state.

Task Force members include housing counseling agencies, legal service providers, nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies and officials, lenders, community development corporations, and private sector partners who are committed to protecting consumers and helping distressed communities. By creating and leveraging resources and advocating for proactive policies and programs, the Task Force seeks to reduce the number of foreclosures and revitalize communities.

Strategic oversight for the Task Force is provided by a seven-member Steering Committee:

• Lorray Brown – Michigan Poverty Law Center, Ann Arbor
• Tracie Coffman – Home Repair Services, Grand Rapids
• Moonson Eninsche – Washtenaw County Treasurer’s Office, Ann Arbor
• Nina Rodriguez – Bank of America
• Linda Smith – U-SNAP-BAC Housing and Detroit HOPE, Detroit
• Greg Sterns – Lighthouse Community Development, Pontiac
• Karen Tjapkes – Legal Aid of Western Michigan, Grand Rapids

Committees

The Task Force has three committees, each of which is pursuing specific goals.

Foreclosure Prevention & Housing Counseling

• Identify and secure funding to increase capacity of housing counseling agencies.
• Provide additional training opportunities for housing counselors.

Policy & Advocacy (click here for 2009 legislative agenda)

• Enact basic consumer protections against predatory lending practices.
• Create meaningful pre-foreclosure negotiation incentives.
• Ensure adequate protections for renters caught in the foreclosure crisis.
• Provide protections against foreclosure rescue scams.

Neighborhood Impacts

• Access accurate, reliable data for the development of effective statewide and regional foreclosure response efforts.
• Assist local community-based organizations in addressing blight and code enforcement issues.
• Develop a communications plan that includes myth-busting a development tools for foreclosed properties.

To get in touch with the Michigan State Foreclosure Task Force, please contact one of the Co-Directors:

• Lisa Nuszkowski
• Steve Tobocman

Last updated June 26, 2009.

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