A number of organizations have collected information on state (and local) initiatives with regard to foreclosures and predatory lending, including:

• the National Governors Association (see September 2007 report)
• the Pew Center on the States (see April 2008 report)
• the National Housing Conference Center for Housing Policy (see website)
• HUD (see website on foreclosure recovery strategies with links to many information sources)
• the Urban Institute/Brookings Institute Tax Center has a list of state refinance programs as of June 2008 with web links
• RealtyTrac (see website for information on foreclosure procedures and timelines by state (though it may not include latest legislation revisions)
• the National Low Income Housing Coalition website has state by state information on tenant eviction practices when a property is foreclosed
• National Conference of State Legislatures links to summaries of legislation proposed and enacted by each state with links to the bills.  Also includes links to various state reports related to foreclosures
• The Dream Foreclosed: 2008, a report by Susan Motika for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, describes 2008 legislative updates and policy actions

Several states have enacted comprehensive bills in the past year or so related to foreclosure procedures and mortgage reforms, including:

• Connecticut: (see overview, detailed summary and bill text of PA 08-176 signed June 16, 2008.
• New York State: (see summary and bill text) of S.8143-A/A.10817-A) signed August 5, 2008.

 Other states have passed less sweeping legislation, including:

• California – S.1137, signed July 8, 2008, established pre-foreclosure notice requirements, extends renter protections and allows fines for non-maintenance of foreclosed properties

The following pages describe approaches some states have taken to address the foreclosure crisis and to reform mortgage origination and servicing practices.  These include:

• forming State Foreclosure Task Forces to develop policies and legislation
• outreach to homeowners at risk of losing their homes
• negotiating voluntary agreements with lenders and/or servicers regarding loan modifications and refinancing products
• pre-foreclosure and right-to-cure notice requirements that give borrowers lender and counseling contract information and sometimes more time to try to cure defaults
• court mediation programs and settlement conferences
• emergency loan programs for homeowners
• refinancing programs
• protections for renters living in foreclosed properties
• regulation of foreclosure rescue scams
• registration and maintenance requirements for lender-owned foreclosed properties
• foreclosed properties disposition programs
• mortgage lending reforms

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