APPLICATION FOR FUNDS FOR PROJECT TO HELP WASHINGTON HOMEOWNERS AVOID PREVENTABLE FORECLOSURES OR TO AMELIORATE

THE EFFECTS OF THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS I. APPLICANT INFORMATION

Organization Name: Solid Ground

Mailing Address: 1501 North 45th Street

City, State, Zip: Seattle, WA 98107

County: King

If Tribal, Designate Tribe: N/A

Primary Contact Person: Humberto Alvarez, Housing Director

Primary Contact Phone No.: (206) 694-6752

Primary Contact Email: janes@solid-ground.org

Secondary Contact Person: Kira Zylstra, Homeless Prevention Program Manager

Secondary Contact Phone No.: (206) 694-6773

Secondary Contact Email: kiraz@solid-ground.org II. ORGANIZATION TYPE

501(c)3 nonprofit ⌧ Tribal Governmental agency

III. IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

Tax Identification Number (TIN): 23-7421892

Uniform Business Identifier (UBI): 600-147686

A. Does your organization currently receive any funding from the AGO? If yes, please identify the date of your last report. No Yes. ⌧

The date of our last report was May 31, 2012 (contract for $20,000 from the Washington State Housing Finance Commission using AGO funds).

B. Does your organization receive any funding from any other governmental agency for housing related projects or foreclosure related assistance? If yes, list the contracts by title, contract number and funding amount for the past 3 years. No Yes. ⌧

The following tables represent funding received by Solid Ground from city, county, state and federal governmental agencies for housing related projects and/or foreclosure related assistance over the past three years. Because we received over 45 contracts each year from these sources, we have not listed every contract separately by name and contract number. However, we would be happy to provide this detailed information at your request. We have broken out in more detail the contracts we received specifically for foreclosure prevention in 2009, 2010, and 2011. These contracts are not included in the overall totals in the top table. Let us know if you need more detailed information.

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Government Contracts for Housing Related Projects

Funder 2009

Contracts 2009

Amount 2010

Contracts 2010

Amount 2011

Contracts 2011

Amount

City 8 $398,487 5 $430,262 9 $442,062County 9 $1,268,199 8 $1,236,645 7 $1,287,186State 13 $869,094 12 $3,414,416 11 $1,244,628Federal 18 $2,314,286 19 $3,788,912 19 $3,199,105Total 48 $4,850,066 44 $8,870,235 46 $6,172,981

Government Contracts Specifically Related to Foreclosure Prevention

2009 Funder Contract Number Contract Title Amount City DA-1581 Foreclosure Prevention Mortgage Default Counseling $53,146County D38961D Housing Counseling & Financial Literacy Education $80,488Federal HC 0988 HUD Comprehensive Counseling $46,659Total 3 $180,293

2010 Funder Contract Number Contract Title Amount City DA-1581 Foreclosure Prevention Mortgage Default Counseling $53,146County D39740D Housing Counseling Program $80,488Federal HC 0921 HUD Comprehensive Counseling $48,919Total 3 $182,553

2011 Funder Contract Number Contract Title Amount City DA-1581 Foreclosure Prevention Mortgage Default Counseling $53,146County D40835D Housing Counseling $80,488Federal HC0922 HUD Comprehensive Counseling $51,883Total 3 $185,517 C. Is your organization solely owned/operated by a current state employee? If so, please complete the Ethics Certification process at www.ethics.wa.gov. No ⌧ Yes. IV. PROJECT PROPOSAL

A. Project Title: Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis B. Requested Amount: $590,700 C. Project Summary

Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis will: 1) streamline our Homeless Prevention Program’s intake process, 2) increase our outreach to marginalized populations affected by foreclosures, 3) build our capacity to provide housing and tenant counseling, housing stabilization case management, and financial fitness counseling, 4) document and disseminate personal stories of people impacted by the foreclosure crisis from every county in our state, 5) build leadership in low‐income communities and communities of color through advocacy training and opportunities to share their stories, and 6) get these stories to state legislators to improve policies and programs that serve people impacted by the foreclosure crisis.

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Our Project will incorporate both prevention and amelioration, providing critical education, counseling, advocacy, and case management services on a local, regional and state-wide level. By bolstering our proven successful counseling, case management and advocacy programs our Project will be cost-efficient as well as effective.

D. Describe how your project meets the criteria set forth in sections I and III above, including estimated start and completion dates. Supporting information and exhibits may be included.

The estimated start date for Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis is January 1, 2013. The estimated completion date will be December 31, 2016. To stop preventable foreclosures and ameliorate the effects of the foreclosure crisis this Project will: 1. Reach Underserved Populations

Solid Ground is an anti-poverty, anti-racism organization that is committed to offering culturally competent services using an anti-racism lens. Toward this end, our programs form intentional partnerships throughout the community that increase access of services to marginalized populations. Our Homeless Prevention Program provides one-on-one mortgage counseling, tenant counseling, housing stabilization case management, and financial skills counseling, as well as workshops on tenant rights, foreclosure prevention and financial skills to diverse communities throughout King County. Our work in these areas continues to reaffirm our understanding that for communities of color and immigrant/refugee communities there is an initial lack of trust and confidence in hotline systems and/or what appear to be faceless bureaucratic systems. The proposed Project will streamline our services so that people seeking help through our intake lines will be responded to personally in an expedited fashion and will be directed to the appropriate services more effectively and respectfully. In addition, we will be increasing our outreach to underserved and marginalized populations through the work of a new Homeless Prevention Program Facilitator and additional workshops on mortgage and tenant issues and financial skills education. In addition, our Statewide Poverty Action Network (Poverty Action) will also be working with people around the state affected by the foreclosure crisis to get their stories heard by legislators and the general public. The heart of Poverty Action’s work is building political power among people with low incomes who are typically disengaged from the electoral process. Frequent voters tend to be white and more affluent, meaning that a small slice of society shapes decisions that impact people with low incomes and people of color. In response, Poverty Action focuses on policies that disproportionately impact people with low incomes and people of color and brings people together to take strategic action to bring about systemic change—addressing root causes of poverty, such as racism and sexism, with solutions that eliminate barriers to economic security and opportunity. Poverty Action will work to keep lawmakers informed of current needs of those impacted by the foreclosure crisis as the fall out continues to unfold. 2. Provide Necessary Services to Consumers

Most often when residents turn to Solid Ground for help, they do not fully understand their housing predicament or what options they have. Solid Ground Mortgage and Tenant Counselors, Housing Stabilization Case Managers, and Financial Fitness Boot Camp Coordinator help families in crisis understand the bottom line, discuss viable options and explain what banks and lenders can and cannot do. Services in this Project will include: • Mortgage Default One-on-One Counseling and Workshops: Our Mortgage Counselors work with homeowners throughout the state providing information and assistance on rights and responsibilities in the foreclosure process, and assistance with budgeting and negotiating with lenders for households experiencing a housing crisis resulting in risk of foreclosure. Whether homeowners are already in foreclosure or worried that they may miss a mortgage payment, our Mortgage Counselors can help them: 1) understand the Washington State foreclosure process, 2) establish a household budget to adjust to the situation, 3) request foreclosure mediation on their behalf through the Foreclosure Fairness Act,

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4) understand their mortgage and possible loss mitigation options, 5) navigate their lender’s loan modification application process, and 6) transition to alternative housing if homeownership is not sustainable. We also conduct Mortgage Default Workshops throughout King County that prevent crisis through information and knowledge. We educate homeowners about available options so they can make informed choices, avoid common pitfalls like foreclosure rescue scams, and become better self-advocates. • Tenant One-on-One Counseling and Workshops: Solid Ground works with tenants throughout King County and across Washington State to educate them about the eviction process, timelines and laws surrounding the responsibilities of landlords during the foreclosure process, resources and information critical to preventing evictions, and arrange for legal representation with our community partners when appropriate. Our Tenant Counselors provide clients with information on: 1) the Washington State Residential Landlord-Tenant Act and other laws impacting renters; 2) how their rights can protect them as a renter; 3) tenant and landlord responsibilities; 4) laws regarding rule changes, rent increases, repairs and deposits; 5) housing searches– where to look, how to apply and credit screening issues; 6) resources available to victims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation; 7) the eviction process– timelines and procedures; and 8) other legal and community resources. In addition, participants who attend our Tenant Workshops receive information on landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities; information for tenants of HUD subsidized housing and holders of Section 8 vouchers; and detailed information about repairs, deposits, fair housing and accommodation issues.

• Housing Stabilization Services: Solid Ground’s Housing Stabilization Services provide support to renters living in Seattle/King County who are at imminent risk of housing loss so they can secure stable housing and prevent homelessness. The program is intended for families and individuals that would become homeless if not for this support. Our Housing Stabilization Case Managers assist with stabilizing housing based on each tenant’s goals and needs, which may include budgeting, securing health services, job training, benefits and other related needs. • King County Housing Stability Project: Solid Ground’s King County Housing Stability Project makes one-time loans and/or grants to homeowners and tenants in danger of losing their housing due to short-term financial difficulties in order to avoid preventable eviction and foreclosures. This program also provides loans or grants to homeless families and individuals who need assistance moving to permanent housing, and limited assistance for other types of moves.

• Financial Fitness Boot Camp: Solid Ground’s Financial Fitness Boot Camp provides one-on-one assistance for those interested in developing a household budget, controlling and eliminating debt, and developing healthy financial habits for long-term stability. We also provide educational workshops on topics related to ensuring firm financial fitness through successful strategies. Through both one-on-one counseling and group workshops, we provide the tools and resources needed to help families gain basic financial footing and obtain long-term security and stability. Our goal is to help families learn to live in a financially responsible and viable manner, no matter what their income is, and to build savings toward achieving their goals, even if it is only $10 a month. We educate households about financial planning, money management, credit counseling and predatory lending prevention. 3. Provide Geographic Diversity

Solid Ground’s Frontline Response will reach people impacted by the foreclosure crisis both within King County and statewide. Our mortgage and tenant counseling hotlines operate statewide while our workshops are held throughout King County. Poverty Action is committed to gathering stories, holding Listening Sessions and documenting the impact of the foreclosure crisis from individuals and families in all 39 counties in Washington State as a part of this Project.

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4. Provide Cost-efficient, Broad-based Services

Solid Ground’s Frontline Response Project will make current homeless prevention services more efficient and cost-effective by streamlining the intake process. The addition of the new Program Facilitator will help in several ways. 1) Callers using the hotline will be responded to more quickly and will be directed to the services that address their specific needs and those they are eligible for. 2) Currently our Mortgage and Tenant Counselors handle the screening and intake process, which is incredibly time-consuming, particularly because of increased calls and need. Counseling staff are also spending a great deal of time adhering to data requirements. The assistance of the new Program Facilitator will free up time to allow the Counselors to focus time on clients thereby increasing the depth and breadth of critically needed one-on-one counseling services. In addition, the increased outreach we will be conducting as part of this Project will help target services to those most in need of assistance, thus having a greater impact on those served.

5. Provide Services with Proven Success

Solid Ground’s Homeless Prevention Program and Poverty Action have extensive experience and success in addressing urgent needs and emerging trends among homeless and low-income people throughout Seattle, King County and throughout the State of Washington. • Solid Ground’s Homeless Prevention Program addresses the varied and urgent needs of families in crisis— most recently those who have been affected by the foreclosure crisis—for over the thirty years. During times when most agencies cut programs, we looked for ways to better serve those struggling to for housing stability. Since the current crisis began in 2008, our Homeless Prevention Program has assisted over 25,000 individuals to maintain/secure their housing through housing and tenant counseling, housing stabilization case management, and financial fitness counseling. • Poverty Action has an extensive and impressive proven track record around consumer protection issues. Poverty Action’s accomplishments include a responsible lending campaign, through which the Washington legislature passed more consumer protection bills in one session than in the last two decades combined. Poverty Action led the successful charge for consumer protections against predatory lending, helping to pass six bills that address abuses in the mortgage market. In addition, $2.5 million was dedicated to programs to ensure responsibility, transparency and fairness on the part of the mortgage lenders. (See attachment for specific bills) • Collaboration: Most organizations either provide direct services or advocate on public policy—very few do both. Solid Ground plays a unique role in the community in that we provide direct services to families and individuals in crisis, and we also engage and educate community members to advocate for fair policies that make our community a stronger, healthier place for everyone. Our advocacy efforts are informed by the actual struggles and setbacks we see among our clients. In turn, our advocacy efforts can make a long-term impact on the issues that perpetuate homelessness, hunger and other impacts of poverty.

A recent example of this powerful mixture of direct service and advocacy involves our Mortgage Counselors. They met with countless households facing foreclosure who shared the same story – unresponsive lenders who refused to discuss loan modifications in good faith. In response, Poverty Action mobilized people directly impacted by the foreclosure crisis, including some of Solid Ground’s clients, to share their stories with lawmakers and the media. They wrote letters, they blogged about their experiences, and they met with lawmakers—giving lawmakers and lenders a clear picture of the plight of thousands of homeowners across King County fighting to keep their homes. As a result, these volunteers and activists made it possible for the Foreclosure Fairness Act to become law as of July 22, 2011. Solid Ground has the capacity and expertise necessary to: 1) oversee training, 2) conduct program monitoring and evaluation, 3) and ensure that cultural competency is an integral part of the Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis.

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E. Describe the demographics of the consumers you serve. Provide supporting data or statistics.

The majority of families and individuals who turn to Solid Ground are among the “working poor”—employed people who must often work more than one job yet still earn significantly less than the median income. However, steep increases in job losses, combined with an unprecedented rise in foreclosures and evictions have also thrown thousands of once-stable families and individuals into crisis. Participants represent a wide variety of ages, ethnicities and backgrounds, but they share a few common characteristics. Namely, they generally have low incomes; struggle to make ends meet; and lack training and direction in some of the most basic aspects of checking, savings, credit and budgeting. Many of the families we serve face multiple financial stability barriers such as past evictions or bad credit. The demographics of our consumers vary among programs. Our Homeless Prevention Program, which includes Housing Counseling, Tenant Counseling, Housing Stabilization Services, King County Housing Stability Project and our Financial Fitness Boot Camp, serves a wide range of clients. • Income Levels: The income levels of our mortgage counseling clients are naturally somewhat higher than those of our other homeless prevention programs. Of our mortgage counseling clients: 17% have incomes below 30% Area Median Income (AMI), 25% between 30-50% AMI, 25% between 50-80% AMI; 18% between 80-100% AMI and 15% over 100% AMI. In contrast, other Homeless Prevention Program clients have the following income levels: 69% have income below 30% AMI; 19% between 30-50% AMI; 9% between 50-80%AMI; 1% between 80-100% AMI and 2% above 100% AMI.

• Race and Ethnicity: Among mortgage counseling clients: 11% are Asian or Asian-American; 11% are Black, African-American, other African; 6% are Hispanic or Latino; 66% are Caucasian; and 6% identify themselves as Other or Multi-Racial. Among other Homeless Prevention Program clients: 2% are American Indian or Alaska Natives; 2% are Asian or Asian-American; 40% are Black, African-American, or other African; 5% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; 33% are Caucasian; 18% identify themselves as Other or Multi-Racial; and 14% identify themselves as Hispanic/Latino. • Other Demographics: 24% of all Homeless Prevention Program participants are persons with disabilities. 15% of clients participating in Housing Stabilization Services are refugees or immigrants. 44% of clients served with financial assistance live in South King County, 19% live in East King County and 37% live in Seattle and North King County. Statewide Poverty Action Network’s constituency includes tens of thousands of people with low incomes, who live at or below the poverty line in Washington and represent all 49 legislative districts. This includes women and people of color who are disproportionately impacted by poverty, people who have been formerly incarcerated, households facing eviction and foreclosure, families that rely on food assistance programs and people with disabilities. Ultimately, our policy work results in increased economic opportunity for constituents via expanded access to public benefits, housing and asset-building programs such as state-matched savings and opportunity grants.

F. Describe the geographic scope of your project.

Our Homeless Prevention Program will serve the following geographic areas:

• Mortgage and Tenant Counseling Hotlines are open to residents statewide

• Mortgage Default and Tenant workshops are offered throughout King County.

• Housing Stabilization Services and the Housing Stability Project are available to residents throughout King County.

• Financial Fitness Boot Camp services are focused on King County residents.

Poverty Action will work statewide, reaching out to all 39 counties in the State of Washington.

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G. Identify the total number of consumers you expect to serve during the life of this grant.

We anticipate serving a total of 10,000-13,000 consumers over the life of this grant. Our Homeless Prevention Program will serve between: 5,511 and 8,071 consumers and our Statewide Poverty Action Network will serve between 5,090 and 5,600 consumers specifically through this Project over the three year period of the grant.

H. If this is not a new project, describe what changes are being made to an existing project.

Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis Project will allow us to both respond to the increasing need affected by the foreclosure crisis and create a streamlined system for service delivery that will allow a household to access the full breadth of services needed to stabilize their housing and achieve long-term success. This Project is designed to enhance and improve upon existing programs, thereby increasing our ability to ascertain emerging trends and needs, inform the legislative process, and respond to the unprecedented demand for foreclosure-related services in a more timely and efficient manner. Proposed program changes will: • Improve the Intake Process: This Project will include the addition of a new staff position within our Homeless Prevention Program, namely a Program Facilitator, whose responsibilities will include managing the Housing Stabilization Intake Line, including screening the calls, determining caller eligibility for various services and guiding the caller to the appropriate programs and services. The goals are to stream-line the intake process and make it more responsive to the increased demand for foreclosure-related programs. • Support Critical Services: While the demand for counseling and case management services has increased due to the rise in homeowners and renters affected by the foreclosure crisis, funding from many sources dedicated to supporting these services has been reduced. The additional funding provided through this Project will ensure continued service delivery at current or expanded levels instead of cuts to services right when they are needed most. The Project will also cover the cost of credit score reports. It is critical that clients working with our mortgage counseling and financial fitness programs know the status of their credit report in order to successfully reduce debt, be knowledgeable and prepared to work with lenders on a loan modification and ultimately repair their credit rating. (Budgeted money of $42,000 will cover the costs of credit reports for 400 clients per year for three years).

• Enhance Capacity for Increase in Depth of Service: The majority of our program participants are facing more difficult and complex barriers to housing stability than ever before. People who come to us for help face a variety of personal financial challenges including low income or a recent loss of income, large amounts of debt and poor credit. Given the complexity of each individual housing situation, each Counselor is spending more time with each individual household in working through barriers, coming up with a plan to overcome barriers and putting a plan into action. This increased level of need amongst clients necessitates more in-depth intervention—especially around financial literacy— with a greater number of households. This Project would allow the Financial Fitness Program Coordinator to create a Financial Fitness Volunteer Coaching Program. The use of volunteer financial coaches provides the opportunity for additional one-on-one counseling specific to the financial needs of each family – helping them stabilize housing, become current in their mortgage or receive a loan modification. In order to develop a program reliant on volunteers, we need to develop access to quality training and a clear set of volunteer standards. This Project would allow the Financial Fitness Program Coordinator to work with a local network of providers to develop the training necessary to provide volunteers coaches and then implement the process within Solid Ground. Moreover, with the addition of the new Homeless Prevention Program Facilitator position and of Financial Fitness volunteers, we will also be able to provide more thorough and more regular follow up with clients using our homeless prevention services. This increased follow up will help us better track client progress and provide clients with further assistance as needed.

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• Increase Coordination of Services: Though clients’ individual situations and needs are specific, there are some services that the majority of our clients need. One such service is financial literacy training. This Project will ensure that the Financial Fitness Boot Camp—ordinarily a stand alone service—will be available to Solid Ground clients in coordination with mortgage and tenant counseling as well as housing stabilization case management. Solid Ground’s Financial Fitness Boot Camp program provides essential education and counseling around budgeting, credit and debt management. This program is especially critical and current as it addresses the common and increasing issues faced by homeowners during this foreclosure crisis. Moreover, financial literacy is critical in order to ensure the long term success of our clients to secure and maintain stable housing. This coordination of services will increase clients’ ability to access the services as well as increase the efficiency of program resources. In addition, Poverty Action will conduct Listening Sessions in coordination with Homeless Prevention Program clients to further integrate our services and give clients direct input on policy matters.

• Increase Outreach around Tenant Rights: This Project will include outreach in the community aimed specifically at renters whose property owners are going through foreclosure. Education around tenant rights is critical as, in many cases, when renters are unaware of their rights they may be unfairly forced out of their housing sooner that the law would prescribe. • Coordinate Statewide Campaign around Foreclosure Crisis: The foreclosure crisis has had a significant impact statewide. To address the level of need, it is critical that we not only tackle the issues on a local, household level, but also on a more global, statewide level. Poverty Action will use its experience and success in legislative reform and advocacy to educate legislators and empower those affected by the crisis to enact policy changes, such as strong consumer protections related to the foreclosure crisis. These policy solutions will aim to both prevent future housing crises, as well as mitigate the impacts of the current crisis. These solutions could include legislation to prevent abuses in lending or collection practices, new protections for tenants when their property owners foreclose, or support for communities and neighborhoods hit hardest by foreclosures. As part of our statewide campaign, Poverty Action will hire a new Outreach Coordinator to engage people impacted by the foreclosure crisis in documenting their real life experiences, as well as provide training and support for them to meet with their lawmakers to create change at the legislative level. I. Describe how net benefit or positive outcomes can be measured at the end of the project.

The success of this Project will be measured by both quantitative and qualitative measures.

Quantitative Measures

Through this Project, our Homeless Prevention Program will be able to assist a greater number of households to keep their housing through access to education and counseling services. We will measure this success in the following ways:

1. The number of clients we can engage in tenant and mortgage workshops.

Increase in tenant workshops: We currently provide 26 tenant workshops per year. With this Project we plan to increase this number to 36 per year, thereby reaching 100-300 more clients each year for a total of 300-900 more clients over three years.

Increase in mortgage workshops: In 2011 we provided four mortgage workshops and plan to provide 12 workshops in 2012. With this Project we plan to increase this number to 15 workshops each year, thereby serving an additional 25 households each year for a total of 75 more households over three years.

2. We hope that these workshops will also serve as an effective entry point to our one-on-one counseling services. The workshops offer an alternative to our phone hotline as a way for clients to connect to our counseling services.

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3. The number of calls the new Program Facilitator screens through the Housing Stabilization Intake Line each week. (Our goal is 30-40 calls each week which means we will reach a total of 4,836–6,396 households over three years.)

4. The increased capacity of our Financial Fitness Counselor to provide one-on-one counseling and

workshops. With this Project we will increase the number of clients receiving one-on-one counseling by 100 for a total of 200 each year. We will also provide 20 workshops each year, but hope to further increase this number as our training for volunteer financial fitness counselors is developed. We will thereby serve at minimum an additional 100 households each year through this Project for a total of 300 additional households over three years.

5. Increased outreach to underserved communities. Our new Program Facilitator will reach out to over

25 new organizations with whom we are not currently working with each year for three years for a total of 75 new partnerships.

6. The number of credit histories we are able to provide to clients through this funding. Our goal is 400

credit histories per year ($35 per report) for a total of 1,200 credit reports over three years. The success of Poverty Action’s efforts as part of this Project will be measured by:

1. The number of counties reached (39) as we gather stories from people across the state impacted by the foreclosure crisis.

2. The number of Listening Sessions held with Homeless Prevention Program clients focused on

gathering the stories of how they were directly impacted by the foreclosure crisis. We plan to hold two of these Listening Sessions each year with approximately 15-25 clients at each event thereby reaching 90–150 clients over three years giving people affected by the foreclosure crisis direct input on policy.

3. The number of advocacy trainings held each year with people impacted by the foreclosure crisis We

plan to hold 30 trainings each year with approximately 15-20 people in attendance at each training thereby reaching 450-600 people each year and 1,350-1,800 people over three years.

4. The number of constituents brought to Olympia to share their stories related to the foreclosure crisis

with lawmakers. We anticipate bringing 150 each year for a total of 450 people over three years. 5. The number of volunteers/members advocating around the foreclosure crisis. We anticipate involving

200 Poverty Action members or volunteers each year. 6. The number of volunteers/members informed about how to take action on legislation that addresses

the impacts of the foreclosure crisis. We plan to inform 3,000 Poverty Action members/volunteers each year.

7. Increased outreach to underserved communities. Poverty Action will coordinate outreach efforts with

our Homeless Prevention Program Facilitator to reach out to new organizations with whom we are not currently working. We anticipate reaching 25 such organizations each year for a total of 75 new partnerships over three years.

8. Whether or not new legislation is forwarded that addresses consumer protections related to or

emerging from the foreclosure crisis. Qualitative Measures

Our Homeless Prevention Program conducts quality of service surveys and hope to demonstrate that a more coordinated approach to service delivery will lead to a greater satisfaction in service delivery and also

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a decreased need for future assistance. Specifically, we hope to see more positive responses to the following question on our client surveys: “What challenges did you face, if any, in accessing our services?” Two of the measures of success for Poverty Action that are difficult to measure in raw numbers are 1) the process of building up effective spokespeople and 2) the passing of new legislation. The cultivation of effective spokespeople on a particular issue – such as the foreclosure crisis – involves not only gathering stories and conducting trainings. It also involves ongoing mentorship and relationship building that is difficult to measure. It is also difficult to measure the legislative aspect of our work primarily because 1) it generally takes years for to a bill to work its way through the system and 2) we may not know yet what new legislation might be needed over the next three years as the foreclosure crisis continues to take its toll.

J. Have you applied for an equivalent grant in the past, if so, to which entity and when?

No, we have not applied for an equivalent grant in the past.

K. If you intend to collaborate with other organizations, please provide a letter of support from that organization. n/a

L. Please provide an organizational chart for your organization. Please see attached.

M. Please provide three references familiar with organization’s activities and their contact information.

1. Rachael Myers, Executive Director Washington Low Income Housing Alliance 1411 Fourth Ave Ste 850 Seattle, WA 98101 Phone: 206-442-9455 Email: rachael@wliha.org

2. Martha Kongsgaard, President Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation 4408 Beach Drive, SW Seattle, WA 98116 Phone: 206.817.5473 Email: martha@kongsgaard-goldman.org

3. Jerry DeGrieck, Senior Policy Advisor to Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn Human Services, Health, Education, Housing, and Financial Empowerment PO Box 94749 Seattle, WA 98124-4749 Office Phone: 206-684-4029 Work Cell Phone: 206-321-7307 Email: jerry.degrieck@seattle.gov

V. PROJECT BUDGET

A. Total Project amount: $590,700

Salaries: $450,000

Goods and Services (identify): $42,000 (1,200 credit reports over 3 years)

Administrative Overhead: $53,700

Advertising or Outreach: $15,000

Travel: $30,000

Total: $590,700

B. What percent of your total project budget does this funding request represent?

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This funding request represents 100% of the total budget for this Project. While the overall 2012 budget for Solid Ground’s Homelessness Prevention Program is $962,292, which includes all of our housing counseling, tenant counseling and financial fitness work, and the overall 2012 budget for our Statewide Poverty Action Network is $620,620, this funding request is for new and/or expanded work undertaken by these two programs specifically addressing the goals of this RFP.

C. If the project will be funded in part from other sources, identify those sources and the funding amounts. n/a

VI. PROJECT ADMINISTRATION

A. Identify within your organization who will be directly responsible for the following project components: (a) administration, (b) fiscal, (c) service delivery. Attach a current resume for the agency director, and the lead project staff person, and a current agency organizational chart.

(a) Administration: Ruth Massinga, Interim Executive Director (resume attached)

(b) Fiscal: Shelly Parrish, Finance Director

(c) Service Delivery: Marcy Bowers, Director, State Poverty Action Network (resume attached) Kira Zylstra, Homeless Prevention Program Manager (resume attached)

B. Describe what steps your organization will take to ensure that the project will serve its intended purposes and be completed on time.

The following safeguards are in place to ensure that the Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis will serve its intended purposes within the agreed upon timeframe:

• Administrative: Solid Ground’s Executive Director will work with the Housing Director and the Poverty Action Director to ensure the Project is administered per terms laid out in the contract.

• Fiscal: Solid Ground’s Finance Department policies and procedures will assure accurate and honest accounts of funds receivable and payable. Solid Ground’s finance and program staff have expensive experience sending a myriad of invoices and program reports to contract monitors at the local, state and Federal level. Solid Ground maintains strong financial footing, has fiscally sound checks and balances in place, and regularly receives unqualified audits. The agency maintains positive working capital and building reserves to assure we can meet any cash flow needs.

• Service Delivery: For over 36 years, Solid Ground has been a region-wide leader on homelessness, and other housing issues. Housing Director Humberto Alvarez has provided leadership and program direction for Solid Ground's housing programs for over 20 years. Our Financial Counselor, with over 25 years of housing experience working in social service organizations, and extensive training on foreclosure prevention and predatory lending, will lead the effort to create a Volunteer Financial Coaching Model. All Solid Ground programs utilize evaluative tools designed to measure quantitative and qualitative progress toward accomplishing clearly established outcomes. All such evaluative results are compiled, reviewed and assessed by Program Managers and are routinely reported to Agency Leadership staff and are included in Board of Directors reports. Moreover, lead Poverty Action project staff will elicit feedback/directives from the Poverty Action Board—made up of people with low incomes and people of color—to ensure accountability to the communities that are disproportionately impacted by the foreclosure crisis.

C. Describe how you plan to measure and evaluate the success of your project and include samples of evaluation tools if available.

The success of Solid Ground’s Frontline Response to the Foreclosure Crisis will be measured by the number of clients served by the Project, but even more importantly, the degree of ease and success clients have in accessing and utilizing the services that are part of the Project.

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Homeless Prevention Program  

• Tools for Measurement: Solid Ground uses a database to record client contacts, service outputs and outcomes, and client survey data. We measure our projected outcomes against our actual results to help evaluate our success and identify challenges. In addition, we track the number of calls made to our intake line as well as the number of screenings conducted to evaluate the need for and success of our program.

• Source of Data: The data we track is derived from our initial assessment and intake form, one-on-one counseling reports, progress reports, lease agreements, mortgage documents and client surveys for both one-on-one counseling and group workshop participants. Our client program evaluation tracks clients’ experience working with Solid Ground Homeless Prevention Program services. Client surveys include Tenant Quality of Service Survey, Mortgage Quality of Service Survey, and King County Homelessness Prevention Program Survey (see attached).

• Processing of Data: The data we collect gives us useful information about our client service outputs, financial assistance, demographics and outcomes, helping us to evaluate who we are serving and what types of services they need the most.

• Program Assessment: Moreover, as a part of Solid Ground’s Strategic Planning Process, a thorough assessment will be conducted around each aspect of the Project. The assessment will evaluate the intended impact of the program in relation to the program model, community need and program sustainability. The Homeless Prevention Program is committed to conducting the assessment at the end of each year of this three year Project. The assessment tool is attached.

Poverty Action

We will measure the success of Poverty Action’s work by tracking the following:

• Attendance at advocacy trainings.

• Attendance at listening sessions.

• The number of people that go to Olympia to advocate for change.

• The number stories collected from people impacted by the foreclosure crisis for use with the legislature and media.

• The progress made on getting consumer protection-oriented bills forwarded through the legislature.

We will track this information through Poverty Action’s database which records information on each person who attends a Poverty Action event, who has shared their story or is willing to share their story with the public or legislators, how the connection to the person was made etc.

VII. CERTIFICATION

I certify that I have the authority to submit this proposal, and that the information in this proposal is true and accurate. If my organization is faith-based, I understand that federal and state law prohibit the use of public funds for religious worship, exercise, instruction or support of any religious establishment.

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/law/state_faith_based.htm http://www.leg.wa.gov/LawsAndAgencyRules/constitution.htm

I understand that my organization will not receive reimbursement for any costs incurred in preparing this proposal. If awarded funding, I understand that our proposal will be incorporated into the final contract.

Printed Name and Title: Humberto Alvarez, Housing Director

Signature Humberto Alvarez

Date: June 29, 2012

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Housing Administration

Broadview Emergency and

Transitional

Homeless Prevention Programs

Housing Stability

Sand Point Development

Board of Directors

Interim Executive Director

Ruth Massinga

Finance Director

Shelly Holmes Parrish

Housing Director

Humberto Alvarez

Senior AdvisorFrank Chopp

Human Resources

Director Jeannette Bliss

Hunger Action Center DirectorTrish Twomey

Advocacy DirectorTony Lee

Volunteer Resources

DirectorVacant

Transportation Director

Kergan Street

Anti-Racism Initiative

Human Resources

Office Support

Volunteer Center

Finance

Network/IT Support

Facilities Manager

Database Administration

Statewide Poverty

Action Network

Community Voice Mail

Family Assistance

Seattle Personal Transit

Food Resources

Cooking Matters

Apple Corps

Food SecurityFor Children

Lettuce Link

Partners In Caring

Penny Harvest

Washington Reading Corps

Retired Senior Volunteer Program

JustServe/ Pathways

AmericorpsSunsets 8/31/12

MLK VISTA

Resource Development

Director Camilla Bishop

Resource Development

Solid Ground Organizational Chart

May 2012

Deputy Housing Director

Tamara Brown

JourneyHome

Family Shelter

Rapid Re-Housing

Sand Point Family Housing

Santos Place

Brettler Family Place

Communications

Chief Operating Strategic Officer

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Ruth Massinga (206) 694-6805

ruthm@solid-ground.org

Work Experience  Interim Executive Director Solid Ground September 2011 – Present Seattle, Washington President/C.E.O. Casey Family Programs April 1989 – December 2005 Seattle, Washington Secretary Maryland Department of Human Resources 1983 - 1989 Baltimore, Maryland Executive Director Social Services Administration Maryland Department of Human Resources 1981 – 1983 Baltimore, Maryland Deputy Director Child Development Associate Consortium 1979 - 1981 (Now: Council for Professional Recognition)

Washington, D.C. Executive Director Berkeley Children's Services 1971 - 1979 Berkeley, California Interim Director Blundon Home, 1970 - 1971 Baton Rouge, Louisiana Caseworker Harlem Hospital 1967 New York, New York Caseworker Community Service Society 1965 - 1967 New York, New York  Education Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology, southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana Masters of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, 1965 Volunteer Work

Board of Directors Co-Chair The Finance Project, Washington, D.C.

Board Member Philanthropy Northwest, Seattle, Washington Ruth also serves on national advisory boards and committees addressing education and early childhood development and is the former Board Chair of the Marguerite Casey Foundation.

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MARCY BOWERS 1 7 1 N W 6 0 T H S T , S E A T T L E , W A 9 8 1 0 7

P H O N E ( 2 0 6 ) 8 9 8 - 4 2 5 0 • E M A I L M A R C Y B O W E R S @ G M A I L . C O M

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Extensive skills in coalition-building, policy advocacy and campaign logistics. • Excellent communication, supervision, and organizational/program coordination skills. • Deep understanding of poverty, class structure and public policy solutions. • Experienced in public speaking and outreach. EMPLOYMENT

Director of Solid Ground’s Statewide Poverty Action Network program, 11/05 – Present Served as a member of the Poverty Action Team since November 2005; became the Director in June 2011. Campaign experience includes successful efforts to rein in predatory payday and mortgage lenders, create and maintain asset-building programs, increase access to health care, housing and other basic needs programs.

Policy Advocacy: Develop and implement effective and innovative campaign strategies to influence legislative and electoral outcomes in Washington state. Develop, analyze and track public policies and electoral issues that address causes of poverty. Build campaigns to pass public policy agenda. Develop campaigns to reach voters in low-income communities and communities of color.

Communications and Outreach: Oversee all day-day operations for organizing and mobilizing low-income communities in Washington around anti-poverty initiatives. Create and implement media plan for legislative session and election campaigns. Oversee and edit all communications, including publications and media outreach. Gather stories from people with low incomes to share with lawmakers and media in effort to break down myths of poverty. Supervise the planning of annual legislative event, bringing people with low-incomes to Olympia for issue briefings, workshops, a rally and march, and lobby meetings.

Fundraising: Recruit and solicit new members through outreach, direct mail appeals, phone banks, and house parties or small annual events. Conduct major donor visits, requesting up to $60,000. Recognize and cultivate individual donors. Work to ensure membership base reflects diversity of Poverty Action’s constituency.

Campaign Coordination: Served as Regional Co-Coordinator for national Equal Voice for America’s Families 2008 campaign. Helped create national policy agenda based on feedback from struggling families. Mobilized 1,000 people from across the state to attend five town hall events, comprising Washington’s contribution to nationwide campaign. Coordinated 30 partner organizations to elect five delegates to ratify policy platform at gathering in Chicago. Mobilized and coordinated logistics for 700 people to attend national convention in Los Angeles to unveil platform. Acted as liaison between campaign funder, partner organizations and low-income families.

Volunteer Coordinating: Recruit and coordinate volunteers for electoral and legislative session activities. Write scripts and train volunteers at GOTV and outreach events. Mobilize members and volunteers to attend hearings in Olympia. Manage interns. Conducted and supervised staff to organize GOTV canvasses and phone banks that reached 30,000 infrequent and low-income voters across Washington during 2006, 2008, and 2010 election cycles.

Served as Organizing Intern and Volunteer, 1/01 – 11/05

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Youth Counselor, YouthCare, 8/05 – 1/06 Provided crisis intervention and counseling to homeless adolescents in residential

setting. Provided advocacy services and community referrals. Coordinated house activities and maintain secure, safe facility. Maintained accurate case files and records. Built relationships while maintaining appropriate boundaries. Trained in verbal and physical de-escalation.

Active Treatment Provider, Denton State School, 1/04 – 6/04

Provided treatment to developmentally disabled women to foster dignity and respect. Used structured training to implement physical and nutritional learning plans. Performed behavior analyses to create intervention programs.

Swim Program Coordinator, National Youth Sports Program, 6/01 – 9/01 Worked with at-risk youth to develop athletic and life skills, including nutrition and drug/alcohol education. Coordinated and developed swim lesson program at summer day camp setting, teaching large groups of diverse, low-income, often behaviorally challenged youth. Communicated the needs of youth with parents and larger community.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

Event Volunteer, Washington Conservation Voters, 9/06- 9/09 Assist volunteer coordinator in managing registration desk at annual fundraising breakfast. Provide logistical support at events including candidate forums, donor events and more.

International Volunteer, Plenty International, Belize, 9/04 – 1/05 Worked with diverse population in elementary schools and area school-feeding programs to build and maintain organic gardens. Taught gardening techniques and soil nutrition. Raised community awareness around nutrition and environmental issues.

Sexual Assault Advocate, Denton County Friends of the Family, 9/03 – 6/04 Advocated for victims of sexual assault by providing crisis counseling and information in a hospital setting. Provided childcare at a women’s shelter. Coached young children in behavior management and empathy. Conducted intake interviews for a women’s shelter.

Volunteer, University Youth Shelter, 3/02 – 8/03 Provided safe, overnight shelter for homeless youth. Supervised youth to ensure safe physical and emotional environments. Managed crisis situations. Assisted in development of orientation. Trained in verbal de-escalation. Gained work experience with diverse, underrepresented population.

Research Assistant, University of Washington Department of Psychology, 3/02 – 6/03 Conducted clinical interviews with female victims of sexual assault to determine the memory functions of trauma and PTSD. Organized and maintained sensitive, confidential materials. Conducted phone-screen interviews. Organized and implemented research protocol. Used SPSS and MS Excel for statistical analyses.

EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, University of Washington, September 1999 – June 2003 Psychology and Women's Studies, 3.8 GPA AWARDS • Outstanding Paper Award – Anthropology Department, 2003 • Outstanding Paper Award – Women's Studies Department, 2003

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Kira Zylstra, Housing Counseling and Prevention Programs Manager

• 1.00 FTE (40 hours/week)

• 9 years housing experience

• 11 years social services experience

Housing Counseling & Other Relevant Background/experience

• 1 year, Solid Ground Housing Counseling and Prevention Programs Manager: Responsible for the management of 14 staff members and for the full operations of five programs including Mortgage Counseling Services, Financial Empowerment Counseling, Tenant Counseling Services, Housing Stabilization Case Management Services and the Housing Stability Project (a financial assistance homeless prevention program). (June 2011–present)

• 2 years, Solid Ground Housing Stabilization Services Program Coordinator: Provides case management and financial assistance to families and individuals throughout King County who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Funds). Worked with partner agencies to target households most at risk of becoming homeless and provide strength-based, client-centered services to promote housing stability. Created intentional referral partnerships in an effort to reduce barriers to accessing services. (FT, 2009–2011)

• 3 years, Sand Point Housing Liaison: Provide oversight and support for five low-income housing programs at Sand Point former Naval Base. Responsible for organizing the acquisition of housing accomplished through the transfer of ownership processed approved by the City of Seattle. Wrote Management Plan for housing operations, helped develop proposal for major government and private grants and acted as primary point of contact for the community to foster support for the housing programs and future development projects. (PT, 2006–2009)

• 3 years, Tenant Services Housing Counselor: Provide in-depth counseling to renters regarding their rights and responsibilities under Washington State’s Residential Landlord Tenant Act. Provided one-on-one support to address barriers to housing stability including some financial assistance to prevent homelessness and housing search assistance to homeless households. Provide education on fair housing, how to recognize discrimination, financial literacy, budgeting for rental payments, eviction process and how to foster positive relationships with landlord to promote housing stability. (FT, 2003–2006)

Specialized Trainings, Certifications & Associations (within last year)

• Financial Coaching for Prosperity, Burst for Prosperity; Seattle, April 2012

• Financial Empowerment Workshop, Seattle-King County Asset Building Collaborative; Seattle, April 2012

• Strengths-based Perspective and Assessment Tools, Eastern Washington School of Social Work; Seattle, January 2012

• King County Family Homelessness Initiative Training Series; Strengths-Based Case Management, Trauma-Informed Case Management, Housing First and Rapid Re-Housing; Seattle, Summer 2011

• Building Leadership Skills Training Series; Non-Profit Staff Development Coalition Project; Seattle, Summer 2011

• Mediation Advocacy, Representing Homeowners under the Foreclosure Fairness Act; Seattle, June 2011

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• Washington State Coalition for the Homeless, Annual Conference; Kennewick, April 2011

• Providing Effective Coaching and Performance Feedback; Seattle, April 2011

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Solid Ground Homeless Prevention Programs – Program Assessments 

 Program:_______________________  Staff:_______________________  Date:_________  Program Basics:      Currently:        Proposed:  Budget and Funding Source   

   

Staff size/roles   

   

Number of clients served annually   

   

Demographics of clients served   

   

Level of assistance provided   

   

Other organizations offering this service?   

   

 General Program Impact Questions:  What is the overall goal/core services of the program?    Are we achieving that goal with the current service delivery methods?    Are there trends in the population you serve that signify changes in community need?    What do we know about the clients once they leave the program?  What don’t we know? 

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   How do we measure up to other programs locally? Nationally?   How is the program perceived by funders? Clients? Others in the field?    Is there a need to target services differently?    If yes, what would that look like?    What are the key challenges for the program?    What are the key opportunities for the program?    If you had complete freedom to redesign or structure the program to better meet the need, what would you do?      

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1501 North 45th Street Seattle, WA 98103-6708

P HON E 206.694.6700 FAX 206.694.6777 TTY 206.694.6710

E M A I L info@solid-ground.org WEB solid-ground.org

Mortgage Counseling CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

Thank you for your time!! Please return this form in the self-addressed, stamped envelope. What was your housing issue/concern? Check all that apply Behind in Payments; no notices Current, but struggling Received legal notice of default/sale Refinancing Washington State Foreclosure Process Needed information about Selling Home

Needed legal referrals/resources for bankruptcy issues Needed resources for credit consolidation Needed help with housing search due to foreclosure Other:______________________________________________________________________________________

2. What challenges did you face, if any, in accessing our services? (Transportation, time, location, etc.)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Did you feel supported and understood by the mortgage counselor regarding your housing concern? Yes No Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Do you feel better prepared to respond to another housing crisis as well as connected to community resources? Yes No Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Did you feel that the mortgage counselor was respectful of your values, culture, customs, financial situation and language needs while providing services? Yes No Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), how would you rate your experience with the mortgage counselor? Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent Comments:________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How do you think we could improve our services? What would you keep the same? Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________ Please contact a Mortgage Counselor should you need additional resources or information. The Mortgage Hotline is open Monday and Wednesday between 7:00-4:00. The phone number is: 206-694-6766. We strive to provide the highest quality of service to each and every client that is facing a housing issue. Thank you for your time and effort in helping us improve our program for you and the community! Office Use: Client ID #:_22370______ Date Sent Out: 6/7/2012 Date Returned: ____/____/____

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Tenant Counseling CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

Thank you for your time!! Please return this form in the self-addressed, stamped envelope. What was your housing issue/concern? Check all that apply

Repair Deposit Landlord entering without permission Fair Housing/Discrimination Housing Search

Eviction Neighbor issues Received legal notice from landlord General lease Financial Assistance

Landlord foreclosed on Breaking Lease Reasonable Accommodation Harassment Lease Terminated

Other:_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What challenges did you face, if any, in accessing our services? (Call-in line, hours, location, etc.)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Did you feel supported and understood by the tenant counselor regarding your housing concern? Yes No Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Do you feel better prepared to respond to another housing crisis as well as connected to community resources? Yes No Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Did you feel that the tenant counselor was respectful of your values, culture, customs, financial situation and language needs while providing services? Yes No Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), how would you rate your experience with the tenant counselor? Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent Comments:________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How do you think we could improve our services? What would you keep the same? Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________ Please contact a Tenant Counselor should you need additional resources or information. The Tenant Hotline is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday between 10:30-4:30. The phone number is: 206-694-6767. We strive to provide the highest quality of service to each and every client that is facing a housing issue. Thank you for your time and effort in helping us improve our program for you and the community! Office Use: Client ID #:_24016 Date Sent Out: 6/12/2012 Date Returned: ___/____/____

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King County Homelessness Prevention Program One Month Quality of Service Survey

Your input will help ensure our funding so we can continue helping other families stay in their homes!

Please answer the following questions as best you can. Use the back of this sheet if necessary.

1. Do you feel that your housing situation has stabilized? Yes No Why?_________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Did you face any challenges in accessing the program? Yes No If yes, please explain:_______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. After your first appointment, did you understand what the next steps were for you and for the case manager?

Yes No Unsure Comments: _______________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ 4. If you were in need of services that this program could not provide, did the staff refer you to the agency or services that

you needed? Yes No Comments: _______________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Do you feel better prepared to respond to another housing crisis because of your participation in this program? Yes No Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________ 6. Overall, how were you satisfied with the services provided by your case manager? Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied Undecided Somewhat dissatisfied Very dissatisfied Comments: ______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ 7. Do you feel that the staff was respectful of your values, beliefs and/or cultural background? Yes No Unsure

Comments: _________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________ 8. Is there anything you would change about the program that would have improved your experience?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for participating in this survey! If you need help accessing other resources, please call the Community Information Line at 206-461-3200

Optional: Name: ______________________________ Phone Number: ____________________

Address: __________________________ City: ________________ Zip: ____________ 1101SUWO

Date: _____________

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Financial Fitness CLIENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

Thank you for your time!! Please return this form in the self-addressed, stamped envelope.

1. What was your financial issue/concern? Check all that apply Develop & Follow Monthly Budget Review Credit Report Increase Household Income Pay off Debt Dispute Items on Credit Report Open Bank Account (checking & savings) Negotiate Debt Payments Improve Credit Score Open Savings Account Predatory Lending Concerns General Credit Counseling Improve Overall Financial Management Skills Other:______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What challenges did you face, if any, in accessing our services? (Transportation, call-in line, location, etc.)

Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Did you feel supported and understood by the counselor regarding your housing concern? Yes No Comments:____________________________________________________________________________________ 4. Do you feel better prepared to respond to your financial needs as well as connected to community resources? Yes No Comments:__________________________________________________________________________________ 5. Did you feel that the counselor was respectful of your values, culture, customs, financial situation and language needs while providing services? Yes No Comments:_____________________________________________________________________________________ 6. On a scale of 1 (low) to 5 (high), how would you rate your experience with the counselor? Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent Comments:________________________________________________________________________________ 7. How do you think we could improve our services? What would you keep the same? Comments: ________________________________________________________________________________ Please contact the Financial Fitness Program should you need additional resources or information. The Financial Fitness hotline phone number is: 206-694-6864. We strive to provide the highest quality of service to each and every client that is facing a financial issue. Thank you for your time and effort in helping us improve our program for you and the community! Office Use: Client ID #:_21891_____ Date Sent Out: 6/7/2012 Date Returned: ____/____/____

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Poverty Action led the successful charge for consumer protections against predatory lending, helping to pass six bills that address abuses in the mortgage market. These specific bills include: • SB 6381: One of the most significant bills that passed requires mortgage brokers to act

in the best interest of borrowers and will protect future borrowers as they make the biggest purchase of their life.

• ·SHB 2770: Prohibits the abusive practice of “steering” borrowers into higher cost loans

than what they qualify for, bans loans in which the principal balance increases every month (negative amortization), and limits pre-payment penalties that trap borrowers in unaffordable loans.

• HB 2791: Increases transparency for homeowners at risk of foreclosure by requiring

agents to disclose all contract information, including the possibility of homeowners losing their homes.

• SSB 6711: Provides emergency loans to help families avoid foreclosure and refinance

into a more affordable mortgage. • SB 6471: Closes a loophole that some 300 mortgage brokers have been using to avoid

regulation, by bringing them under the Consumer Loan Act. • SB 6272: Expands financial education and counseling to promote greater

homeownership security.

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