Operation H.E.L.P. – Supporting Families in Need of Housing Assistance

The foreclosure crisis continues to be a pressing housing issue in Illinois, between 2006 and 2012 Northern Illinois community areas with dominant Latino populations experienced twenty-one percent of the city’s total foreclosure filings. Latinos lost sixty-six percent of their wealth between 2005 and 2009, and home equity was accountable for two-third of their net worth.

As a result of the foreclosure crisis the Illinois Attorney General’s office awarded the Latino Policy Forum 1.5 million dollars from the National Foreclosure Settlement to form Operation H.E.L.P. (Housing Education Leadership and Policy).  Operation HELP is a two year collaborative project composed of 15 non-profit organizations located along Northern Illinois coordinated by the Latino Policy Forum.  

Operation HELP’s collaborative include Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Casa Guanajuato, Catholic Charities, Claretian Associates, Centro de Información, Enlace, Erie Neighborhood Association, HACES, Interfaith Leadership Project, La Casa Norte, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, Mano a Mano, Open Communities and Spanish Community Center.

In October 2014, I was hired as the Operation HELP coordinator to serve as a team leader to ensure the project progresses within the expected guidelines.  I also facilitate deadlines, deliverables and work plans to ensure effective relationships are maintained with agency and team partners. We began our planning phase in November 2014.  During the first four months, we worked on our collaborative goals and vision in order to develop a work plan that will help us reach the thousands of families in need of foreclosure assistance.

We are committed to mitigate the effects of the Illinois foreclosure crisis by providing housing counseling services to renters and future home owners, as well as providing information and access on foreclosure prevention to current homeowners so they can preserve their homes and rebuild community wealth. Operation HELP will be conducting trainings, workshops and housing fairs on pre-purchase housing counseling, financial literacy, foreclosure prevention, tenant and landlord rights, affordable housing,  across the city of Chicago and in the northern suburbs.

I am very proud and feel blessed to be part of the Forum. I also appreciate having the opportunity to work with talented, dedicated and resilient people leading such successful organizations. As a collective, we have the strength and capacity to continue to help our communities in need. Assisting renters and homeowners in foreclosure and preventing foreclosure allows our Latino communities to preserve and build wealth, and it supports the efforts towards preventing poverty and homelessness.

For more information on Operation HELP click here, or contact Maria Ramos at mramos-cuaya@latinopolicyforum.org.

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