NACA IN ATLANTIC CITY: STOPS FORECLOSURES & TAKES THE GAMBLE OUT OF AFFORDABLE MORTGAGES

By Gloria Dulan-Wilson

Hello All!!

Did any of you go to Atlantic City for the NACA Home Save Marathon?

They started operations Friday, May 21, and they really are working 24 hours a day til midnight Tuesday, May 25. According to one of the counselors, there were over 1,000 people outside the door when they opened.

On Sunday, May 23, I spent the day there, and I am pleased to say that most of the participants who came down, came from Brooklyn, Queens and parts of the Bronx. Long Island, Westchester, and Rockland County. While there were very few from Manhattan, most New Yorkers got the message and made it their business to get down to Atlantic City and take care of business regarding their mortgages and foreclosure/auction threat.

So, first off, I'm saying that I am so proud of my New York Brothers and Sisters!!! You handled your business!! The brothers and sisters who attended our March 20 and May 15 Workshops at the Bed-Stuy Multi-Services Center, are to be particularly congratulated for not sitting on what you learned.

While you were there getting your mortgages restructured; your foreclosures completely cancelled; getting predatory lenders out of your back pocket; unfortunately, the skeptics (remember the days when that was you?) from New Jersey, were still sitting at home making excuses, or doubting that NACA was real.

Remember last December when you were in the exact same space, when they came to Javits, and you didn’t find out that they were the real deal until the day before they were getting ready to move on to help another community?

Well, guess what? There are a lot of people in parts of Southern New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, who have mortgages that are under water, who were reached out to by NACA, that are not going to receive their assistance, because either they, or someone “who knows everything” convinced them that it was bogus.

Such a shame. That makes them remain a negative statistic, instead of joining the ranks of those who got up, got down there, and got it done.

So, here’s what we’re going to do NEW YORK, because it does not benefit any of us to have essential information and not share it with the rest of us: If you have any friends, relatives, associates, even enemies, in the Southern New Jersey, Northern and suburban areas of Pennsylvania, or DC or Connecticut, or, or, or… (it really does not matter because NACA is national), tell them to:

GET TO ATLANTIC CITY IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER, BEFORE MIDNIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 25, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY SO THEY CAN SAVE THEIR HOMES, REDUCE THEIR MORTGAGE, OR RECTIFY DISCREPANCIES THAT KEEP SHOWING UP IN THEIR PAYMENTS!!! CALL THEM, TEXT THEM, EMAIL THEM, FAX THEM -- WHAT EV! DO NOT KEEP THIS INFORMATION TO YOURSELVES.

It does not matter whether you’re African American, African, West Indian, Caribbean American, or White. We all need the roof over our heads. There are 80 banks onsite to help make sure you keep them. SO TELL YOUR FRIENDS (AND YES, EVEN YOUR ENEMIES) THAT THIS IS FOR REAL AND GET THERE BEFORE NACA LEAVES. THE HOME THEY SAVE MAY BE THEIRS.

For those of you who have attended our NACA workshops in Brooklyn in the past, I know you’ve had a question about your hardship letter, and what is appropriate to include in it. NACA actually has developed some guidelines that you can use. But, why do that if they are doing the solutions for you onsite in Atlantic City? Go down and get it done up close and personal.

So if you haven't made it to AC, now is the time to get your paperwork together, get on the Academy casino bus or Greyhound regular, or ACES (Atlantic City Express Service) Train or car, or whatever your preferred means of transpo, and get it done so you'll have a blessed summer, secure in the knowledge that you've done what you needed to do to preserve the roof over your and your family's head.

Like I said to many of our brothers and sisters: You all know how to get to Atlantic City. Who doesn't know who to get to the Trumps, Bally's and Caesar's? They’re within walking distance of the Convention Center, which is where NACA is in Hall D. Or stay at the Sheraton, they’re right across the street; get your work out done, and then go to TUN for celebratory meal and some music (stay out of the Casinos though. You don't want to gamble away the thousands you saved in those mortgage restructures, now do you?).

You can truly celebrate because this time you're not going there to gamble. You're going there to take the gamble out of continuing to own your own homes. So you might really call it a sure thing. So it's worth it, and it's now.

And please do keep me posted on your progress. If you have any photos you want to send, please do so. There were a lot of people who got up and testified on camera yesterday, but I did not know which ones came from New York City. If you have comments, recommendations, praise, you want to share, send it to me and I will post it.

When I left to come back home to New York City (around 10:00 pm), there were at least 100 people just coming out of one of the NACA WORKSHOPS getting ready for counseling. The second shift had come in at 9:00pm and were prepared to be there til dawn. NACA truly is working round the clock trying to help save homes! Wow!

Somebody should tell the people who actually live in the city of Atlantic City itself (not the casino owners). They seemed to have missed that information. And, since they're 70% underwater with their mortgages (literally) they should have been the first ones on line for the help. No offense to my New York brothers and sisters who had the good sense and good fortune of showing up and taking care of business. You're always number one!! -- But I'm just saying: If something good is happening in your own back yard, don't you think you should at least be somewhere in the mix?

The unfortunate truth is that Atlantic City, the venue, has very little to do with Atlantic City the actual community. From what we understand, there is little to no revenue sharing between the two entities, so the people who live there get precious little from the billions that literally flow through those fabulous venues. There is a similar disconnect when it comes to benefitting from such programs as NACA. While there were a great many efforts to outreach to the community itself (and we know there is one, because we can hear you breathing, and we see the stats), the response was just not there.

Needless to say, while he was totally gratified to find that we have done a great job in getting our New Yorkers out there, NACA founder and president, Bruce Marks was quite disappointed over the turn out of Atlantic City residents and those who live in Southern New Jersey. So churches, social services, community services, and other organizations who have the lists upon lists of people in your catchment area who are in peril of losing their homes: CONTACT THEM AND GET THEM TO THE NACA HOMESAVE IN ATLANTIC CITY. Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 25, is the last day.

Tell them to get up, get over there, and get it done. Stop gambling with the roof over their heads and get some of the blue chip service NACA is providing.

Stay Blessed &
EMPOWERED
Gloria Dulan-Wilson