A Winston-Salem church is teaming up with the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, a nonprofit group that provides counseling and loan-restructuring help to people with unmanageable home mortgages.
The Rev. Johnny L. Ruff of Goler Metropolitan AME Zion Church said that the church will have a preregistration session beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday for people who want NACA's help in getting a better mortgage deal.
The group is on a "Save the Dream Tour" that has had some 350,000 participants in visits to 11 cities so far. The group gives people free help in restructuring home loans at a lower rates.
Save the Dream isn't coming to Winston-Salem, but it will be in Charlotte from Dec. 3 to Dec. 7 at The Park, the former Charlotte Merchandise Mart.
By preregistering at Goler, people will be able to save time at the Charlotte sessions.
Ruff said that people planning to attend the preregistration should bring information about their income within the last 30 days and a recent mortgage statement.
The church is at 1435 E. Fourth St.
Ruff said that he and other AME Zion pastors throughout North Carolina are encouraging their congregations to use the free counseling service.
And it is not just for people who might be facing foreclosure, he said.
"You would be surprised at the number of people who can benefit," Ruff said. "You don't have to be not paying a mortgage. You have to be where the total cost is leaving you short financially."
What NACA can do is work with major lenders to restructure mortgages and permanently reduce their interest rates to the 2 percent to 5 percent range.
Many people all over the area could benefit, Ruff said.
"I'm trying to get the message to Greensboro, High Point and a variety of areas," he said. "It's not for any particular social group but for people all across Forsyth County and the general area. We are facing lots of unemployment and reduction in hours worked. There are many people dealing with specific issues. It is hoped that this will give them the opportunity to retain their homes."
Ruff said that one couple in his congregation worked with NACA and got a much better deal on a mortgage.
NACA is one of a number of agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to engage in home-finance counseling. The group helps people with poor credit buy a house and also helps people refinance predatory loans.
wyoung@wsjournal.com
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