Listening to housing woes
Governor Warner met with some Fredericksburg-area residents this morning who have been impacted by the nation’s housing crisis. He listened to their stories and offered his commitment to work for solutions for Virginians struggling to head-off foreclosure and remain in their homes.
The homeowners shared personal stories about how they almost lost their homes before they got help from Cherie Miles, a mortgage counselor from the Central Virginia Housing Coalition, a not-for-profit group which helps families of low-to-moderate income. Cherie said that there are 487 foreclosed properties in the Fredericksburg area. Of the 53 families she is helping, she has been able to save the homes of only 14.
Don Willis is a retired military veteran who ran into financial difficulty when he was laid-off from his job. He worked with the Coalition to refinance his mortgage to prevent foreclosure, but his loan was pulled at the last minute and he now has started the refinancing process again. Steve Waterholter, a self-employed construction worker, and his wife Veronica, turned to the Coalition for help when they ran into trouble on their interest-only mortgage loan.
Governor Warner thanked them for sharing their personal stories: “It’s one thing to read about it. It’s another thing to hear first-hand from folks.”
“I just want to say thank you,” Veronica told Governor Warner, “because as someone up high, for you to take the time to talk to people like us, it means a lot. We normally think we all are forgotten about… so it means a lot to me to know that someone cares.”
The Free Lance-Star wrote a front-page story this morning about the breakfast roundtable. They wrote that Governor Warner
said the solution requires a multi-pronged approach. He supports the idea of more financial counselors, and said that consolidating loans and getting a person to sit down with to negotiate are key.
The Stafford Sun adds:
Warner reminded everyone that Congress is considering providing more counselors like Miles, and recommended fixed-rate mortgages – and not betting on the economy. As Warner stated, “It feels like this shouldn’t be happening to you. You [Willis] have a nice house, and you [Waterholter] have your own company.” He stressed that working with local companies – from banks to counseling services – really helps.
Later, Governor Warner stopped by a telework facility in Dale City, one of seven of its kind around the Commonwealth, that rents out cubicles with everything a person would need to conduct their office work without having to drive all the way to their offices. Several of the folks we met said they were able to save hours of time, frustration, and gas money by working from the telework facility once or twice a week.
Governor Warner told the telecommuters that he believes a renewed emphasis on telecommuting and flexible work schedules could help people avoid costly daily commutes and help reduce our nation’s reliance on foreign oil. Nearly four million Americans telecommute, collectively saving about 840 million gallons of gas and taking about two million vehicles off the road each year.