Senator Peralta Sponsors Mortgage Forum

Help For Queens Homeowners Struggling In the Mortgage Crisis

With alarmingly high rates of seriously delinquent mortgages in Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, State Senator Jose Peralta, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and local non-profit agencies hosted a forum to help homeowners in the face of the ongoing mortgage crisis.

The attorney general’s office and community-based organizations working on foreclosure prevention provided counsel and hands-on assistance Saturday to homeowners at the event, sponsored by Senator Peralta at the Queens Museum of Art.

A study recently published by the New York Federal Reserve Bank shows that nearly 20 percent of homeowners in Corona are currently delinquent 90 days or more on their mortgage or are in foreclosure.  The rate is 15 percent in East Elmhurst and 10 percent in Jackson Heights. 

“The economy has caused great hardship for many families, particularly in the communities I represent,” Senator Peralta said.  “Scammers, schemers and the unscrupulous have tried to profit from the financial difficulties of others.  By enlisting the attorney general’s office and legal advocates, I hope to arm homeowners with the information and hands-on help they need to protect their bank accounts and save their homes.”

“Millions of homeowners in Queens and across the country have been foreclosed upon or are reaching the tipping point, and in the interest of fairness and justice, it’s critical that we help those in need and determine who must be held accountable,” said New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.  “My office is committed to taking a hard look at all the possible causes that got us into this situation in the first place, and doing everything in our power to ensure that it never happens again. I commend Senator Peralta, the Legal Aid Society and all the participant organizations for helping to provide Queens residents with important information on how to survive the mortgage crisis.”

On hand to provide advice and expose some of the scams going on were Daniel Alter, senior adviser and special counsel to the attorney general; Maria Filipakis, special deputy attorney general in the executive division; and Franklin Romeo, staff attorney from the Queens Legal Services Foreclosure Prevention Project.  Also at the forum to provide hands-on help were Neighborhood Housing Services of Northern Queens; and the Foreclosure Prevention Coordinator of the Queens Volunteer Lawyers Project, Inc.