Rep. Johnson: More Should Know About Foreclosure Prevention

Rep. Hank Johnson's office said more than 500 people participated in the HomeSafe Georgia foreclosure prevention event on Saturday.

But more people need to know about the assistance that's available, Johnson (D-District 4) said in a release about the event.

Johnson hosted the event along with representatives of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and HUD-approved counseling agency D&E, the release said.

HomeSafe Georgia took place at Salem Bible Church in nearby Lithonia.

Johnson said in the release that although Georgia has received $340 million from President Obama’s “Hardest Hit Fund," more people need to know about it. The "Hardest Hit Fund" is known as HomeSafe in Georgia and is intended to help unemployed homeowners avoid foreclosures, he said.

“So far, just $23 million of this fund has been used to help about 900 homeowners,” Johnson said.

“Our goal is to help more than 18,000 Georgians save the most significant investment they will ever make – their home. This event today is a good place to start – to begin to get the word out and to help homeowners who qualify. But more must be done," he said in the release.

Johnson was one of the first public officials in Georgia to pass a law fighting foreclosures when he was a county commissioner in 2001, according to the release.