about HERA

Downloads

From Wall Street to Main Street: Understanding How the Credit Crisis Affects You. Prepared by The Joint Economic Committee Majority Staff
download report

Foreclosed: The Burden of Homeownership Loss on City of Oakland and Alameda County Residents
This report provides information regarding the extent of predatory lending problems in Oakland and Alameda County
download report

Resources

For Attorneys

Pleadings Bank

HERA maintains a library of useful legal pleadings to help consumer attorneys help the public.
Membership is required to access these pleadings.
> APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP <

To arrange for training or to discuss the possibility of co-counseling, contact HERA staff.

Redlining and Predatory Lending
See Video »

For Consumers

Independent Foreclosure Review

If you lost your home in a foreclosure between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2010, or had a pending foreclosure on your primary residence in 2009 or 2010, you may have received a letter from your loan servicer notifying you about a foreclosure review program called the "Independent Foreclosure Review" (IFR). This informational notice is intended to help California consumers understand the IFR program so they can decide whether to request a review.

Independent Foreclosure Review Program informational page | PDF

What you owe your mortgage lender after foreclosure or short sale | PDF

Get Assistance from HUD (multi-lingual website)

Victim of housing, loan servicing or lending discrimination? Contact HUD.

Equal Opportunity for All Brochure
Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | English | Korean | Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese

Are You A Victim of Housing Discrimination? Read this.
Arabic | Cambodian | Chinese | English | Korean | Russian | Spanish | Vietnamese

Housing & Supportive Services
YouTube
Story in World Journal (Chinese)

Senior Resources Fair IV - Opening -1

Affordable Housing -2

Affordable Housing -3

Affordable Housing -4

Foreclosure Prevention – 5

Foreclosure Prevention – 6

Foreclosure Prevention – 7

Foreclosure Prevention – 8

Foreclosure Prevention – 9

Foreclosure Prevention – 10

New Blog Site - Facing the Mortgage Crisis

Visitors can ask questions, get information, find resources and watch videos about the mortgage crisis. Blog >

California May Owe You Money!

You may be one of millions of Californians owed money by the State! You can find out and claim your property for free by visiting the following California websites. Don't pay anyone to do this for you-- you can take care of it yourself for free. Go to the California State Controller Unclaimed Property Main Page: http://www.sco.ca.gov/upd.html. Click on the Unclaimed Property database: http://scoweb.sco.ca.gov/UCP/. For additional information on unclaimed money (links organized by type of money): http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Money_Owed.shtml

The Opportunity Fund

Thinking of starting a business? Or do you have a business and need some financial help? Or are you trying to figure out how to save money and build assets for the future? Check out Opportunity Fund at http://www.opportunityfund.org/about/mission. The Fund is a non-profit that lends a helping hand, through their award-winning approach that includes financial education, microfinance loans, micro-savings accounts, and affordable housing financing.

Free Housing Counseling

The federal department of Housing and Urban Development funds and certifies local non-profits to provide free counseling to the public. Some agencies are trained to advise just homebuyers, while others are also certified to help residents who already own a home with refinancing and foreclosure avoidance information. Check on the HUD website for the certification information of the agencies listed.

Consumer Complaints About Lenders

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) was newly created under the Obama administration "to make markets for consumer financial products and services work for Americans - whether they are applying for a mortgage, choosing among credit cards, or using any number of other consumer financial products".

Despite efforts by some members of Congress to stop the CFPB from opening its doors and doing its job of protecting Americans, the CFPB began to operate this summer. If you have a complaint about financial or credit products or services, including mortgages, you should complaint to the CFPB. Contact it at: http://www.consumerfinance.gov/the-bureau/.

HERA's Tip Sheet for Home Buyers and Homeowners

Download our homebuyer/homeowner tip sheet about how to protect yourself when taking out a loan. (English version)

Recomendaciones de HERA para propietario de viviendas y compradores de vivienda (Spanish version)

(Chinese version)

Tips for Communicating with Your Servicer

Seeking assistance from your loan servicer can be difficult and frustrating. Download our tips for communicating with your servicer. (English version)

Legal Representation

To find legal representation:

Consumer Workshops

HERA provides free monthly workshops for homeowners and homebuyers that help you get the best home loan you can and protect yourself from scams. We also maintain a list of workshops being provided in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, in addition to our own.

If you want to have your workshops included on our list, please contact HERA staff.

Upcoming Workshops >

Legislative Information

For the latest information on legislation affecting California consumers, check out:

Resources for Pet Owners

President's Plan

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