New Foreclosure Legislation

Significant foreclosure legislation is under consideration in the Ohio General Assembly. This session will provide details on proposals to put a moratorium on foreclosures, provide tenant protections, and regulate mortgage servicers.

Moderator:

Jennifer L. Flatter, Ohio Department of Commerce
Jennifer L. Flatter joined the Ohio Department of Commerce in February 2007 after Governor Ted Strickland appointed Kimberly A. Zurz as Director. Ms. Flatter served as lead staff on Ohio's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, which Director Zurz chaired. As a Legislative Liaison for the Department of Commerce, she focuses on foreclosure prevention, real estate, financial institutions, securities, and federal policy issues. Ms. Flatter was instrumental in the development and implementation of Save the Dream, Ohio's foreclosure prevention effort, which includes a comprehensive website, hotline, and advertising campaign created to assist Ohioans struggling with their mortgage payments. She also assisted in drafting and negotiating the state's Compact to Help Ohioans Preserve Homeownership, which is the first of its kind in the nation and has been signed by nine mortgage servicers. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Flatter was the Legislative Aide to former State Senator, now Chancellor of Higher Education, Eric D. Fingerhut. Ms. Flatter serves on the Governor's Interagency Council on Women and Girls where she is a member of the Speakers Bureau. She is also Chair of Membership for Ohio Women in Government. Ms. Flatter is pursuing her Master's degree in Public Administration from Ohio University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Communication from Capital University.

Speakers:

William Faith, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)
Since 1980, William (Bill) Faith has worked in the affordable housing field with a special focus on very low-income and special needs people. For the past 15 years, he has been the Executive Director of COHHIO, the state's lead organization on advocacy, policy change, public education, training and technical assistance as they relate to homelessness and affordable housing issues. COHHIO's recent successes include winning Issue 5, the payday lending referendum. Despite a $20 million campaign challenge by the industry, COHHIO won two-thirds majority vote at the polls in November. This affirmed HB 545, the payday lending rate cap law passed earlier in the year. Other successes include: winning passage of the Ohio Homebuyers Protection Act (predatory lending reform) of 2006; winning dedicated funding for the Ohio Housing Trust Fund at $53 million per year; sponsoring OhioVOTES, a voter mobilization project targeting nonprofits. Mr. Faith is a Board member of the following organizations: Ohio Habitat for Humanity (2007-current); National Low Income Housing Coalition (1990-current), Board Chairman (1999–2006); Coalition on Ohio's Future, Steering Committee – Broad–based coalition to oppose the TEL Amendment (2005–2006); Columbus/Franklin County Housing Trust Corporation (2001-current); Ohio Housing Trust Fund Advisory Board (1991-current).

The Honorable Mike Foley, Ohio House of Representatives
State Representative Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) of the 14th District was appointed to represent constituents in Brook Park, Parma Heights and Cleveland Wards 19, 20 and 21 in May 2006. Voters then formally elected him to continue his work at the Statehouse in November 2006 and in November 2008. Rep. Foley serves as Chairman of the Ohio House Housing Urban Revitalization Committee. He is a member of the Alternative Energy Committee, the Civil and Commercial Law Committee and the Ways and Means Committee. Beginning as a Community Organizer for the St. Clair-Superior Coalition in the mid-1980's, his passion for housing issues kept defining his career. He worked as Court Administrator, a Personal Bailiff and a Judicial Clerk for the Cleveland Municipal Housing Court. Upon joining the Ohio Bar in 1996, Rep. Foley returned to the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law's Housing Law Clinic as an instructor. He became the Executive Director of the Cleveland Tenants Organization, saving thousands of families from being displaced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and organizing the largest rent strike in Ohio history at Columbia Park Manufactured Home Park. Rep. Foley successfully represented victims of the first predatory lending cases in Cuyahoga County. He continues to help victims of security deposit scams and families hurt by lead-based paint. Rep. Foley earned his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of Dayton and his Law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Leigh Willis, Ohio Department of Commerce
Leigh Willis serves as Deputy Superintendent for Consumer Finance in the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of Financial Institutions. She joined the Division in October 2007 with 19 years of experience in the banking and lending industries. Ms. Willis began her career at State Savings Bank, a former well known thrift in Central Ohio, and from there has worked for various national, regional and local lenders. Her experience includes branch bank management, mortgage loan origination and underwriting, as well as mortgage operations and compliance management. Since joining the Division, she has worked on numerous initiatives including reorganizing the Consumer Finance section; improving enforcement efforts; and working on various rule reviews and legislative initiatives. Ms. Willis is a graduate of Ohio University.

 

 

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