Basics of Financial Assistance

1.  Get Your Finances In Shape!

• Do not make any major purchases at this time
• Take a serious look at your expenditures and those of everyone in your household and identify where you can make cuts- likely suspects are cable TV, extra features on your phone, eating out, unplanned use of your credit card through impulse shopping
• With whatever resources you have, pay your housing costs first- it is easier to find help for food, utilities etc than it is to find large amounts of dollars for rental or mortgage assistance.  You do not want to lose your housing.
• If you are threatened with job loss or losing your health insurance use it while you have it- make doctors appointments for you and your kids and fill up prescriptions before your coverage stops
• Try to find part-time work
• BEWARE OF SCAMS. There are many predatory schemes trying to take advantage of people in financial crisis. For good advice on recognizing debt-related scams, click here.

2.  Recognize the Emotional Effects of Financial Difficulties on you
and your family

• It’s normal to feel angry, upset and anxious when you have financial problems.  The best way to deal with these feelings is to take charge of your situation and take actions necessary to protect your family.

• Recognize that your family is impacted as well- things will change around your household until you get back on your feet.  Talk to them so that all can pull together during what can be a difficult time.
• Pay attention to your own physical situation- eat right, get daily exercise, get enough sleep.

 

For Mortgage Delinquencies and Counseling

National Hotlines:

• Union Privilege “Save My Home” Hotline -Union members, their parents, and their children can call for free, confidential advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with counselors from a non¬profit, HUD certified housing counseling agency: 1-866-490-5361.
• Neighborhood Assistance Corp, 888-302-6222
  
• ACORN Housing, 866-672-2676
• HomeFree-USA, 866-696-2369
• HOPE Now, 888-995-4673

For HUD-certified housing counseling agencies in California, click here. You can search by city or zip code, and languages spoken are listed. Some of these agencies also offer rental assistance.

Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams - Help Is Free!

To find out more about avoiding foreclosure, click here.

United Way programs

Find the AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison in your area.

Call 2-1-1 2-1-1 is an information clearinghouse number sponsored by the United Way.  Simply dial 2-1-1 to get info about or referral to ANY health and human services agencies in the area, such as those training, employment services, food pantries, affordable housing counseling, support groups and much more.  2-1-1 isn’t everywhere.  To find out about your area:  http://www.211.org/

Click here to find the local United Way and search their lists of private agencies in your area by zip code.

Take advantage of the AFL-CIO Union Privilege Programs

Go to www.unionplus.org for information about the credit card program, mortgage assistance, disaster payments, legal help and the many other programs available to union members through Union Plus.

Read Union Privilege's "10 Ways to Cope with Financial Upheaval"

Read Union Privilege's "DIgging Out of Debt"