Moore recognized for helping struggling homeowners

St. Johns County Housing and Community Services together with staff member Dana Moore, Administrator of Homeownership Programs, were jointly presented the affordable housing excellence award by the Northeast Florida Regional Council.

This award recognized the efforts of the department, led by Tom Crawford, and, more specifically, Moore was recognized for her effort and approach towards the use of the county’s credit counseling resources and funds to assist individuals in saving their homes from foreclosure.

In the summer of 2008, Moore recognized that the increasing volume of foreclosures would require a unique approach for the county’s credit counseling resources and funds to assist individuals in preserving their homes.

She implemented the Foreclosure Intervention Program in September 2008, which utilized and expanded the County’s relationship with the non-profit St. Johns Housing Partnership.

Funded through County funds, SHIP and NeighborWorks, credit counseling is now made available to low and moderate income households in danger of losing their homes.

The program has been so successful that courts now are referring cases back to the St. Johns Housing Partnership to ensure that every possible opportunity is given to preserve a client’s ability to remain in their home prior to foreclosure.

As a result of Moore’s leadership, 234 families in St. Johns County have been able to remain in their homes since September 2008.