North Carolina should provide more affordable housing for low-income workers, seniors, veterans, and any other person that cannot find affordable housing. North Carolina should also help citizens protect their wealth by increasing protections against home foreclosure, predatory mortgage lending, and high interest small consumer loans.

Debra Tyler Horton, NC Justice Center: It is immoral that millions of North Carolinians cannot find an affordable, clean and safe home or apartment. Here is Maria Spaulding and Barbara Goodman to ask and answer some tough questions:

DID YOU KNOW:

• that predatory mortgage lending practices to our people, who by definition are “poor credit risks” are driving foreclosure rates to an all time high?
• greedy lenders are trying to get rid of the State’s 36% interest cap to fleece poor people coming and going?
• that many of our wounded soldiers returning to N.C. from Iraq cannot find accessible housing?
• that the average house price in NC in 2005 was $193,000?
• over 2 million North Carolinians cannot afford a decent place to live?
• that between 1998 and 2006 foreclosure filings in NC jumped nearly 180% from 16,630 to 45,512?

- Maria Spaulding

THEREFORE, WE DEMAND:

• the General Assembly fund a legal team to enforce the Veterans rights to disability payments and accessible housing in our state.
• the General Assembly Fund the NC Housing Trust Fund with $50 million in recurring funding.
• the General Assembly Protect consumers against all forms of predatory lending and maintain the state’s interest cap on payday lending.
• the General Assembly expand protections for college students, poor people and other vulnerable populations from debt-mongers.
• the legislature expand the NC Home Protection Pilot Program and provide better protections against unsuitable and predatory home mortgage loans.

- Barbara Goodmon