(PRWEB) June 27, 2012
A $ 97,133 grant from the U.S. Division of Housing and Urban Improvement is enabling The John Marshall Law College in Chicago to continue its Fair Lending/Property Preservation Project that trains students, attorneys and lenders on the rights of homeowners beneath the Fair Housing Act. The funding is extending the project for a 10th year.

A system education John Marshall Law School students about predatory lending will be able to continue into its 10th year thanks to extended funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The plan created and managed by The John Marshall Law College Fair Housing Legal Assistance Center works with law students and regional housing assistance organizations to give data that might help home owners avoid the pitfalls by way of the protection afforded them beneath the Fair Housing Act.

The newest HUD grant of $ 97,133 was announced May 17, 2012, said Professor Michael Seng, co-director of the Center.

It is unfortunate that the problems of predatory lending havent lessened, but by means of our program we are instruction students to be knowledgeable advocates for these who uncover themselves taken benefit of, Seng stated. Obtaining the continued assistance of HUD, as nicely as the City of Chicago and the Department of Community Improvement is producing a distinction for our students, and in turn those who want legal suggestions.

Seng established a predatory lending system in 2003 in conjunction with Higher Southwest Neighborhood Development when its leaders saw an uptick of poor loans being written for Chicagos Southwest neighborhood housing. Numerous residents located themselves in default, and the development leaders asked Seng for assistance.

From that 1st initiative, Seng created a Predatory Residence Lending Law class in 2003 for John Marshall students. Considering that then more than 225 students have taken the class to find out the legal ramifications of the predatory lending concern and operate on neighborhood outreach.

The program continued to develop and today, as the Fair Lending/Property Preservation Project, it includes the classroom component and hands-on training for students so they can determine predatory lending issues. The students function to aid with loan modification applications, help counselors with reviewing modification packages, and inform homeowners of cost-free solutions accessible by means of counseling agencies. Students review home owners economic and house documents alongside housing counselors.

The HUD grant is enabling John Marshall to: