Facing the Mortgage Crisis

Facing the Mo= rtgage Crisis

A Public Media Community Engag= ement Initiative, Connecting People in Need with Trusted Information and Free Servi= ces

Every day, more and more famil= ies throughout our region lose their homes because they have lost their job, or can’t afford unexpectedly larger mortgage payments. As unemployment increases, adjustable rate mortgages re-set and property values fall, homeowners at all ends of the economic spectrum find themselves facing the prospect of foreclosure. In Montgomery County alone more than 41,000 homes = have been foreclosed in the last ten years, burdening neighborhoods and local governments with vacant properties that invite crime and lower property val= ues even further.

In response to the crisis that= is threatening our neighborhoods and cities, Think^TV , in partnersh= ip with WYSO, is launching Facing the Mortgage Crisis, a community engagement initiative designed to connect area residents to trusted foreclo= sure prevention resources. Building on their role as public media organizations, Think^TV and WYSO are working with a variety of community service organizations to connect those in need with those who can help. Commercial media partners, including the Dayton Daily News, WHIO Channel 7 and Cox Rad= io will help tell the story of the mortgage crisis and reach the broadest poss= ible audience.

Facing the Mortgage Crisis launches June 15. Every day t= hrough August, Think^TV will broadcast a series of 10 informative on-air spots, each one answering the questions most frequently asked by homeowners, such as, “Am I in danger of losing my home?” and “C= an I get money to help make a payment?” The spots will feature United Way&= #8217;s HelpLink 2-1-1 as the number to call for assistance.

In July, Think^TV and WHIO-TV will simulcast an hour-long special, also called Facing the Mort= gage Crisis. The program explores the issues clo= sest to homeowners who are threatened with foreclosure, including how to negotia= te with the lender if you’re in danger of missing payments, how to handle phone calls and notices from lenders, how to keep track of pertinent paperw= ork, and when to seek assistance. During the second half-hour of the prog= ram experts will respond to viewer calls and e-mail. E-mailed questions may be submitted in advance at mortgage@think= tv.org. The program will also be rebroadcast on Think^TV 16, as well as digital channels. In the weeks leading up to the broadcast, Cox Radio will air news reports and features.

Think^TV’s public media partner WYSO will produce and broadcast Public Service Announcements in June and July. WYSO will also pro= duce in-depth news features about the mortgage crisis in the Miami Valley. The news reports will air within the NPR programs “Morning Edition= 221; and “All Things Considered.”

Three live call-in programs are scheduled for three Thursdays in July. The fist will be on July 16^th at 7pm following the popular busin= ess program Marketplace. An expert panel will answer questions relating to the issues of foreclosure, mortgage financing, scams to look out for and the agencies available in the local area for help. Advance emails may be submit= ted to news@wyso= .org, subject line “mortgage.”

Web content at www.wyso.org will support and reinforce broadcast efforts.

In order to inform WYSO’s reporting and planning, community par= tner meetings will be held. The date of the first meeting was Tuesday, June 2nd, at the WYSO studios in Yellow Springs.

Together, WYSO, WHIO-TV, Cox Radio and Think^TVwill provide a coordinated broadcast effort, supported by on-line resources and community events.

The Dayton Daily News, in collaboration with ThinkTV and WYSO will host the project’s culminati= ng event: a panel discussion that explores the local impact of the mortg= age crisis. The panel, to be scheduled in August, will be hosted by Dayton Daily News Editor Kevin Riley and made available for streaming on partner web sit= es.

Additional resources will be f= ound on Think^TV’s Facing the Mortgage Crisis Web site at= www.thinktv.org. The easy-to-navigate sit= e will contain all of the information presented on-air, including the toll-free ph= one number for help.