Chris Flanagan (Co-anchor, WEWS “5 on Your Side”): And back now with continuing coverage of the foreclosure crisis. Earlier in the week we told you about a study showing Ohio foreclosure’s dropping 16% in 2011. Lee Jordan (Co-anchor): One potential reason for the drop is a growing number of homeowners turning to foreclosure prevention counseling. “5 on Your Side’s trouble shooter, Joe Pagonakis, joins us live from the newsroom to show us how this works. Joe Pagonakis: Lee and Chris, Cleveland Housing Court Judge Ray Pianka says one of the best ways to avoid foreclosure is to get homeowners and their banks communicating, and that’s exactly what foreclosure prevention counselling promotes: getting both sides to the bargaining table. Laura Banks (facing foreclosure): I‘m angry and upset and feel real [sic] bad about not being able about not being able to hold my home. Joe Pagonakis: Laura Banks is facing foreclosure on her house of eighteen years, and she blames her bank and a mortgage rate that has ballooned to seventeen percent, so Laura has turned to foreclosure counseling. Scott Rose (ESOP Foreclosure Prevention Director): Well, I think the most important thing is to get people engaged in the process. Joe Pagonakis: Scott Rose is the foreclosure prevention director for the nonprofit group, Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People, better known as ESOP. ESOP provides free HUD approved counsellors helping homeowners in financial distress better communicate with their mortgage lenders discovering options that can help keep residents in their homes. Scott Rose: But I think that the lion’s share of people that do have steady employment stand a really good chance of getting some kind of help. Joe Pagonakis: Now, one of ESOP’s main goals is to get the attention of major Northeast Ohio banks, either by protesting at banks that ESOP believes are not being receptive to homeowners or by promoting banks who are willing to communicate with homeowners in distress. Wells Fargo is one bank that almost always has representatives on the scene when residents come in for foreclosure counselling. Russ Cross (Wells Fargo Bank): We want people to understand that there are options that can help them avoid a foreclosure sale, something we know they don’t want, we don’t want, and neighborhoods don’t want either. Joe Pagonakis: Meanwhile, during her ESOP counselling, Laura learned that her interest rate will now be dropped by 3%, a step toward saving her home. Laura Banks: Great hope, great hope…they really been [sic] good to me. Joe Pagonakis: And here’s the number for ESOP's foreclosure counseling — it's free: 216-361-0718. Meanwhile, New Channel 5’s “Building Better Neighborhoods” is looking to help with the aftermath of foreclosures. Log on to news.net5.com to find how you can volunteer to improve your neighborhood. We also invite you to report vacant homes. If you have one on your block, send an email to BBN@WEWS.COM. Send us pictures and addresses; we will forward that information to your building department. I’m troubleshooter Joe Pagonakis.