Responding to Foreclosures in Cuyahoga County 2015 Update: Ninth Annual Report January 1 - December 31, 2015

The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs has been the evaluation partner for the Cuyahoga County Foreclosure Prevention Program (CCFPP) since the program was adopted in 2006. This report is an update to the County for 2015. The evaluation provides the County with metrics to track progress and provides feedback about the program that can be used to improve and adapt it to meet the rapidly changing state and national context surrounding foreclosures. Since consistent tracking began in 2009, the Cuyahoga County foreclosure prevention program has served over 24,000 homeowners at the five participating counseling agencies. In 2015 alone, 1,151 households were counseled. More than half (57%) of all homeowners that have completed counseling through the program have had a successful outcome. That is, they have reached an agreement with their lender that enables them to stay in their home or, if they choose, they are able to transfer title through a short sale or other means to another individual owner and move to a more affordable home. As noted in previous reports, Cuyahoga County was one of the first localities in the country to develop a comprehensive response to the foreclosure crisis. The County’s consistent role in funding, administering and evaluating the program over nine years has created a very effective system of agencies and programs, including foreclosure mediation, that have helped homeowners prevent foreclosure and contributed to stabilizing the housing market