Home counseling centers are struggling to keep up with the demand for homeowner assistance after a flood of new foreclosures in Chicago during 2007, as indicated in just-released data by a local nonprofit community organizing agency.
Counselors say they are dealing with the consequences of loan products that took advantage of unsuspecting consumers in the housing market.
“We are swamped with people who are in trouble,” said Ofelia Navarro, executive director of the Spanish Coalition for Housing, a home counseling agency that serves many neighborhoods, including Logan Square and Humboldt Park. “A lot of the cases are difficult–they are upside down on their mortgage [payments], or don’t have the money to pay.”
The data, compiled by Chicago-based National Training and Information Center (NTIC), shows that Logan Square had the greatest percentage increase in foreclosures over other near west and near north side neighborhoods during 2006. Logan Square had a 108 percent increase in foreclosures to 210 in 2007 compared with101 in 2006.  The community ranked 14th out of 77 Chicago community areas in foreclosures.
West Town, which encompasses Wicker Park, Bucktown and Ukrainian Village also saw a huge  increase, up 87 percent in 2007 to 234, compared with the year-earlier period, placing 20th overall, accoding to the NTIC study. Humboldt Park had 57 percent more foreclosures, or 426,  ranking 39

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