Philadelphia Community Organizers Upset About Proposed Foreclosure Program Cuts

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Community organizations in the city are lashing out at lawmakers in Harrisburg and Washington for attempting to cut programs that help homeowners facing foreclosure.

They're not in panic mode yet, but homeowner advocates are under a lot of pressure these days.

Rick Saure, head of the Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations, says the House of Representatives is proposing to eliminate funding for the what the city's housing counseling program and cut 66 percent of the funding for the Philadelphia's Community Development Block Grant program.

"Such a cut is not only going to hurt individuals that are facing foreclosure, but also if foreclosure is allowed to go through, are going to create vacancies and abandoned properties throughout our neighborhoods," Saure explained.

Meanwhile at the state level, Governor Tom Corbett has zeroed out the budget for Homeowners' Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program.

Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania Executive Director Liz Hersh says the coalition has been frantically trying to fight back.

"We have visited every single congress person in their district office and in DC," Hersh says. "We visited every district office of Senator Toomey and Senator Casey. We've been calling and talking with HUD."

She says the ball is now in their court.

Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio