(Lawrenceville, Ga., Nov. 1, 2012) – County and state officials gathered at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center on Thursday to promote the temporary mortgage payment assistance available to homeowners in Gwinnett County and metropolitan Atlanta through HomeSafe Georgia.

HomeSafe Georgia is a federally funded program designed to assist homeowners who struggle to pay their mortgage due to reduced income from involuntary unemployment. Since HomeSafe Georgia began in April 2011, more than 2,000 Georgians have received assistance to help them make their mortgage payments until they find work.

Gwinnett County Commission Chairman Charlotte Nash said, “We have experienced more than our fair share of foreclosures in Gwinnett County. The funds available through the HomeSafe Georgia program provide an option for Gwinnett homeowners who are trying to pay their bills and keep their homes in these difficult times.”

Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Mike Beatty said, “We are excited about our partnership with Gwinnett County to ensure the HomeSafe Georgia program reaches all of the citizens who are facing foreclosure. Keeping families in their homes provides stability not only for the family, but for the entire community.”

Beatty called on business owners, community and nonprofit organizations, and churches to host HomeSafe Georgia outreach events. During the kickoff, Bishop William Sheals of Hopewell Baptist Church in Norcross announced that his church will hold a housing resource fair on Nov. 10 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.

HomeSafe Georgia’s goal is to help more than 18,000 homeowners avoid foreclosure by the end of 2014.

Eligible homeowners approved for the program will close on a no-interest loan. After the assistance period, the loan will be reduced at a rate of 20 percent per year for five years. Georgia received $340 million for the program as part of the U.S. Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, which targeted states with high rates of unemployment and foreclosure. For more information on HomeSafe Georgia, please visit www.HomeSafeGeorgia.com.