I read with great interest the first installment of your series on the foreclosure market in Fayette County.

Affordable housing is a major concern for many of my constituents. Each and every family that has lost its home to foreclosure in Fayette County deserves our sympathy and compassion.

All is not lost, however.

While we certainly have much to do in order to ensure that something like this does not repeat itself, there are steps that we can take right now to stop this trend in its tracks.

Financial education is a significant first step in arresting this problem. Most importantly, we can better educate homeowners so that they know that there’s always somewhere to turn for help – starting with their lenders.

At the first sign there might be a problem, homeowners should contact their lenders. The sooner the problem is addressed, the more help you’ll be able to get.

Community organizations, state programs, and even lenders themselves offer programs to help people straighten things out, get back on their feet, and avoid defaults and foreclosures.

For example, Freddie Mac, whose programs and partnerships reach every community in the country, recently announced that it will devote $20 billion to existing and future sub-prime loans. With this funding, thousands of families will be able to find a fair, flexible, and affordable way to hold onto their homes.

Things don’t have to get worse before they get better. If homeowners know about the help that’s out there, and lenders large and small follow examples like Freddie Mac, we’ll be taking a big step toward reversing this foreclosure crisis for good.

Representative Virgil Fludd

Tyrone, Ga.

[Democrat Rep. Fludd’s House district includes part of north Fayette County.]