Struggling Illinois homeowners could get new legal help thanks to a grant awarded by Illinois’ attorney general. The grant will enable law students from The John Marshall Law School, partnered with the Northside Housing Collaborative (NHC), to provide added legal assistance to homeowners facing foreclosure and new homebuyers in Chicago’s north side communities.
Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will join representatives from the NHC and John Marshall to provide details on how the funding will help Illinois homeowners and buyers avert some of the practices that led to the state’s foreclosure crisis.
The Pro Bono Clinic at John Marshall, in collaboration with NHC, will provide expert legal assistance through pre-purchase education for homebuyers, foreclosure prevention information and employer-assisted housing, thanks to a two-year agreement with Madigan’s office.
The $800,000 grant to NHC comes from a national settlement (United States of America, et al. v. Bank of America Corp., et. al) involving the nation’s five largest bank servicers that were cited for fraudulent practices while servicing loans of struggling homeowners. As part of the settlement, Madigan is now disbursing funds to mitigate the effects of Illinois’ widespread foreclosure problem. A portion of those funds has been allocated for pro bono work from John Marshall, to help troubled homeowners who are entering foreclosure, and pre-purchase homebuyers trying to avert predatory lenders.
About the Northside Housing Collaborative
The nine-member Northside Housing Collaborative is a team-based program model, providing HUD-certified foreclosure and pre-purchase housing counseling. This collaborative program, to be funded by the Illinois Attorney General’s National Settlement Grant, will be conducted at seven, culturally specific, nonprofit community service organizations on the north side of Chicago, including the following organizations and community locations:
Albany Park
Cambodian Association
North Park
Korean American Community Services
Rogers Park
Northside Community Development Corporation
Uptown
Bosnian-Herzegovinian American Community Ctr.
Chinese Mutual Aid Association
Laotian American Community Services
West Ridge
Indo-American Center
About John Marshall’s Pro Bono Clinic
John Marshall encourages its students to participate in pro bono work to foster commitment to community service, both during law school and after graduation. By cultivating a culture of service, John Marshall’s pro bono clinic not only provides a valuable resource for clients in need, it also prepares students for a life of purposeful citizenship.
EVENT DETAILS:
Who: Attorney General Lisa Madigan, Northside Housing Collaborative, The John Marshall Law School
What: Announcement of grant for homebuyer education
Where: Korean American Community Services, 4300 N. California Ave., Chicago, Ill.
When: 10-11:30 a.m.; Madigan expected to speak at 10:30 a.m.; Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Click here to RSVP, or please contact Chris Zala at Northside at 773-338-7722 ext. 22 or chris@northsidecr.org
