NACA held a free counseling workshop on mortgage restructuring in Washington, D.C. in 2008 and in Stamford, Connecticut in February. It plans to meet with distressed homeowners in California and Florida, among the states with the highest private lender and government foreclosures.

Philip and Gloria Spigner were among the couples who attended the workshop in Columbia. Their monthly payments have risen to $1,300, an increase of $500 from the $800 they were originally paying. Carol and Butch Dycus also attended, although they have been keeping up with their payments. Tony Jumper is current with his payments, but he is concerned about lender and government foreclosures because his company has already laid off 26 of his fellow workers.

According to NACA organizer Carmon Orta, about 10,000 homeowners had signed for the counseling service and about 20,000 are expected to attend the workshop over the planned three-day event. NACA counselors use tax filings, paycheck stubs and information from the homeowners to compute how much these homeowners can actually pay and then work out loan modifications with the mortgage lenders that have signed with NACA.

Bank of America spokesperson Rick Simon said several lenders have started to experience difficulties with foreclosures so they are more willing now to work with nonprofits to help borrowers save their homes from private lender and government foreclosures. They have seen how much foreclosure losses and unsold foreclosed properties are affecting their finances.

NACA officers said they have reduced the monthly loan payments of over 90 percent of borrowers that took advantage of their free services. Ninety percent of the expected 20,000 attendees in Columbia would mean 18,000 borrowers saved from lender and government foreclosures.

Carol Dycus, a 64-year-old wife who could no longer work because of her heart ailment, related she and her husband have been receiving foreclosure notices although they have been making the payments. They are hoping NACA can help them lower their monthly payments, which have increased to $624. Dycus said her husband goes to work everyday, sick or well, just to be able to make the monthly payments and save their home from foreclosure.

Meanwhile, 64-year-old nurse Gloria Spigner and her husband hope they will not lose the home where they brought up their children to lender or government foreclosures. They hoped NACA would be able to help them convert their adjustable rate mortgage into a low fixed rate mortgage.