New foreclosure filings on condominiums are a rising share of foreclosure activity in the Chicago region, new data from Woodstock Institute show. New filings on condominiums in the six-county region grew by two percentage points from 17 percent to 19 percent of all foreclosure filings between the first half of 2009 and first half of 2010.

Woodstock Institute applauds the passage of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, which represents the most dramatic and pro-consumer overhaul of the financial system in 70 years. The bill, which President Obama is expected to sign soon, will stabilize the financial system, prevent the need for future bailouts, and create a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to guard against unfair and deceptive products and practices.

The impact of the foreclosure crisis continues to be front and center for the Chicago region’s communities. The 2010 Regional Home Ownership Preservation Initiative Annual Plenary will be an opportunity to hear from experts on economic and foreclosure trends, as well as a chance to share information about successes, challenges and emerging initiatives from peers and practitioners throughout the region. Topics to be covered include:

Woodstock Institute is excited to announce the addition of five new members to its board of directors. The new board members come from diverse backgrounds and have substantial expertise in the areas of asset-building, housing counseling, financial services, and community development.

High-cost consumer credit, extended with no consideration of a borrower's ability to pay it back, has stripped billions in wealth from Illinois communities since the beginning of the economic crisis. While lending reform is still being debated in Washington, the Illinois General Assembly passed strong consumer protections designed to cap rates for the often controversial payday lending industry.

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