Hundreds of Western Massachusetts residents lined up at Chestnut Middle School in Springfield to get advice on how to save their home from foreclosure. The Patrick Administration and Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno hosted a Homeowner Foreclosure Prevention Workshop Saturday.

"They come in, they line up, anxious to see someone, and when they leave you can almost see the tension washed off their face," said Marie Burkart, Director of the Western Massachusetts Foreclosure Prevention Center.
Homeowners met with banks and lenders to get some advice on preventing foreclosures before it's too late.

"The sooner they get in contact with their lender, and the sooner they get in contact with an agency like the Western Mass Foreclosure Prevention Center... the better their outcome is going to be, so don't wait," said Burkart.

Several lenders attended the workshop, including Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, Countrywide Financial, GMAC Mortgage, Option One, Washington Mutual, and Wells Fargo.

With homeowners facing economic troubles, Governor Deval Patrick's office set up the workshop to help residents face their fears head-on.

Dan Crane/MA Sec'y for Consumer Affairs:

"There's a lot of shame that some people have surrounding the circumstances that they find themselves in with their home mortages," said Daniel Crane, Undersecretary, Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

And it's a circumstance these homeowners want out of... fast. One such resident, Donna Crapps, lives and works in Springfield. She is not in trouble just yet, but wanted to pick up some tips on how to save herself from a problem that more and more American homeowners are facing every day.

"Having this opportunity for people to come and realize that there's hope out there... I mean most of us are poor working people. We all want to have a home. It's the American dream," Crapps said.

If you missed Saturday's workshop, experts at the workshop offered ways you can proactively help yourself.

- Contact your bank or lender
- Contact the Western Mass. Foreclosure Prevention Center
- log onto www.mass.gov/foreclosure

The Center is holding another foreclosure prevention workshop in Worcester on July 16.