County may see funds for housing

Senator Patty Murray toured the Clark County Food Bank Warehouse off 47th Ave Tuesday, August 12, 2008. (The Columbian/ N. Scott Trimble)

Washington state housing agencies will soon receive $628,880 to help families avoid foreclosure, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced today.

At least two Clark County-based centers could receive part of the funding, which will be distributed by the Washington State Housing Finance Commission as part of a $177.5 nationwide distribution included in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act.

“I would imagine that we will” receive some of the funding,” said Leslie Caponette, program manager with Columbia Nonprofit Housing, a Vancouver agency that provides default intervention counseling at 2500 Main St., Suite 205.

Caponette said she is fielding more calls for help than a year ago at this time.

In October, 235 homes were in some stage of foreclosure in Clark County, up 41.6 percent from the 166 homes in foreclosure during the same month last year.

Local foreclosure counseling is also offered at the Vancouver-based Community Housing Resource Center, 2700 N.E. Andresen Rd. And local homeowners can contact Consumer Counseling Northwest to receive foreclosure counseling over the phone.

The latest funding allocation brings to $1.65 million the total federal funding sent to Washington and the state Housing Finance Commission in part because of Murray’s efforts.

“With more Washington state families facing the threat of losing their homes, this funding is more important than ever,” she said, in a statement. “This funding extends a lifeline to families who feel they have no way out of debt and nowhere to turn for help. It will ensure that expert, free assistance is just a phone call away.”

Washington had 4,278 foreclosure filings in October, which was a 95 percent increase from October 2007. The state’s rate of one filing for every 631 households put it 17th among all states and Washington, D.C., according to Murray’s office.