A growing number of distressed homeowners who want to save their properties from Houston foreclosure listings will be disheartened to learn about the recent development involving a group that has helped them in their struggle to avoid foreclosures.
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now or ACORN, as it is popularly known, is currently embroiled in a national controversy over its questionable practices.
The advocacy group has been working to provide low-income and moderate-income families with better wages, affordable housing and better public schools. The group also gives priority to foreclosure prevention and community development investments from governments and banks.
The group is currently on the national spotlight following the release of undercover videos showing ACORN representatives in several cities advising a couple who posed as a prostitute and pimp about issues such as home buying and money laundering. The video has created a furor and resulted to the dismissal of four organization employees.
Because of the controversy, Mayor Bill White has ordered his staff to conduct a review of the almost $155,000 grant given to ACORN the previous year. The grant was used by ACORN to provide mortgage counseling to help distressed homeowners avoid Houston foreclosure listings.
White explained that he has not seen any inappropriate activities in the ACORN Houston, adding that the review is just to make sure that no irregularities occurred.
ACORN’s local contract to provide mortgage counseling ended last June and resulted to almost 270 actions made to help troubled homeowners at risk of foreclosures.
Meanwhile, Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party, sent a letter to White asking him to disclose all funds given to ACORN. He also requested the city government to stop giving taxpayers’ money to ACORN.
On the national level, ACORN has received about $50 million federal grant since 1994. The U.S. House voted to exclude ACORN from future federal funding. Additionally, the U.S. Census Bureau terminated its ties with ACORN. The controversy started to grow out of control after about 12 states investigated the 2008 voter registration irregularities involving ACORN.
ACORN operates three separate entities in Houston, namely ACORN Housing Corp., ACORN Political Action Committees and Houston ACORN.
Related Posts:
- None Found
Comments on this entry are closed.