U.S. Rep. John Barrow (D-Savannah) will host a mortgage and foreclosure assistance workshop on Friday at the Savannah Morning News Auditorium, located at 1375 Chatham Parkway, between I-16 and Ogeechee Road. The event will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Barrow will be joined by Georgia Senior Assistant Attorney General David S. McLaughlin.

People are encouraged to stop by at any time during those two hours to meet with housing and foreclosure experts who will provide objective advice and talk about what options may be available to 12th District families who need help.

Counselors will be available from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the VA, the Economic Opportunity Authority, the Neighborhood Improvement Association, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, AARP and other agencies and organizations.  The workshop will provide free, confidential advice to families facing foreclosure or who are worried about making their mortgage payments. To make the most of the time with the counselors, participants are asked to bring all relevant mortgage and financial paperwork.

“I hope anyone who’s struggling with foreclosure, or who just wants to know what to do if this happens to them will stop by and visit with us. There are too many families in our community who are in trouble or about to get into trouble to ignore this problem any longer,” Barrow said.

There were over 90,000 foreclosures in 2007 in Georgia.  Almost 1,500 were in Chatham County alone.

Barrow also will discuss legislation he has introduced to lower the tax burden on working families by allowing them to deduct interest payments they make on their mortgages (H.R. 3608).