LANSING --

The Michigan Foreclosure Task Force (MFTF) announced its newest project, the Community Foreclosure Response Toolkit, a free, comprehensive, online toolkit to help Michigan citizens - from elected officials to neighborhood groups to individuals facing foreclosure - address all issues related to foreclosure in their own communities.

"Michigan continues to have the seventh highest foreclosure rate in the nation," said Jamie Schriner-Hooper, Executive Director of the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) which serves as the home base for the Michigan Foreclosure Task Force. "We hope that communities and individuals will use this toolkit to strengthen local foreclosure prevention initiatives and response efforts."

Foreclosure has impacted every corner of Michigan and continues to be a challenge for the state.  Underwritten by Charter One, the Michigan Community Foreclosure Response Toolkit is a response to the crisis.

The online tool will provide continuous updates and is written in plain language allowing all Michigan residents to be empowered to take action based on their local needs.

"Charter One was very pleased to work with CEDAM in the development of this resource, " said Sandy Pierce, President of Charter One and RBS Citizens, Michigan. "As a state we are making strides and need to continue the positive momentum by providing additional resources to further develop our communities.

The Michigan Foreclosure Task Force was formed in 2007 and has championed legislative causes, such as Michigan's 90-day mandatory mediation law, as well as pioneered the Michigan Foreclosure Prevention Corps, which has provided 60 AmeriCorps members to local foreclosure counseling and prevention programs.

The Task Force has a diverse membership including counseling agencies, legal services attorneys, financial institutions, state and local officials and others working together to expand foreclosure counseling efforts in Michigan and mitigate the neighborhood impacts of concentrated foreclosures.