Gesher Human Services, one of the largest human service agencies in metro Detroit, is offering Michiganders a free virtual program on Tuesday, September 1 at 1 p.m. to help families avoid foreclosures. The nonprofit has been seeing an increase in the number of clients needing assistance after missing mortgage payments. According to property and real estate data organization ATTOM, in its Q1 2026 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, 3050 Michigan properties received a foreclosure filing (one in every 1,515 housing units) in the first quarter of 2026 alone, which is up 10.87% from the previous quarter. While Michigan's foreclosure rate remains below the national average – Indiana, South Carolina, Florida, Delaware and Illinois are the hardest hits states - local housing counselors say early intervention remains critical for homeowners facing financial hardship. To register for Foreclosure Prevention Seminar go to geshermi.org/events.
“We have seen a huge increase in mortgage default and foreclosure proceedings with our clients due to the economy. With rising costs and taxes, people are really struggling to navigate their day-to-day expenses,” explained Financial Education Manager Laltsha Cunningham. “While they juggle groceries, gas prices and utilities, sometimes the mortgage bill gets paid last, or not at all.” Cunningham said that other local nonprofits in metro Detroit were seeing the same situation with their clients too.
The webinar, which is open to all Michiganders, will help attendees:
• Evaluate situational options and help determine whether to keep, sell, or structure a clean exit
• Deconstruct federal pre-foreclosure mortgage parameters and administrative regulations
• Analyze timelines mapped directly from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
• Navigate specific Michigan foreclosure timelines and statutory prevention sequences
• Build robust borrower loss-mitigation workout packages and loan modifications
• Review systemic impacts of foreclosure judgments on subsequent credit reporting metric
• Locate local, secure resources via HUD-Certified Housing Counselors
• Bring awareness to potential scams, plus provide other local resources
Cunningham said that it was vital for homeowners who are facing difficulties to understand their options for modifying their mortgage, know their legal rights, as well as get advice on budgeting to see whether keeping their home is feasible. She said that mortgages can now only be modified twice in the lifetime of a mortgage because of recent government rulings.
At the very first sign of being unable to make a payment on a mortgage, Cunningham advises homeowners to contact a nonprofit agency, such as Gesher. “I will literally sit with a client, and we will call the lender together to work out a plan,” said Cunningham. “If you are delinquent in payments for three months you are in default and after six months you can be in foreclosure. It is heartbreaking and frustrating to see families lose their homes when there may possibly be a way to save them.”
“We have seen a huge increase in mortgage default and foreclosure proceedings with our clients due to the economy. With rising costs and taxes, people are really struggling to navigate their day-to-day expenses,” explained Financial Education Manager Laltsha Cunningham. “While they juggle groceries, gas prices and utilities, sometimes the mortgage bill gets paid last, or not at all.” Cunningham said that other local nonprofits in metro Detroit were seeing the same situation with their clients too.
The webinar, which is open to all Michiganders, will help attendees:
• Evaluate situational options and help determine whether to keep, sell, or structure a clean exit
• Deconstruct federal pre-foreclosure mortgage parameters and administrative regulations
• Analyze timelines mapped directly from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
• Navigate specific Michigan foreclosure timelines and statutory prevention sequences
• Build robust borrower loss-mitigation workout packages and loan modifications
• Review systemic impacts of foreclosure judgments on subsequent credit reporting metric
• Locate local, secure resources via HUD-Certified Housing Counselors
• Bring awareness to potential scams, plus provide other local resources
Cunningham said that it was vital for homeowners who are facing difficulties to understand their options for modifying their mortgage, know their legal rights, as well as get advice on budgeting to see whether keeping their home is feasible. She said that mortgages can now only be modified twice in the lifetime of a mortgage because of recent government rulings.
At the very first sign of being unable to make a payment on a mortgage, Cunningham advises homeowners to contact a nonprofit agency, such as Gesher. “I will literally sit with a client, and we will call the lender together to work out a plan,” said Cunningham. “If you are delinquent in payments for three months you are in default and after six months you can be in foreclosure. It is heartbreaking and frustrating to see families lose their homes when there may possibly be a way to save them.”
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