Who’s Involved
The Don’t Borrow Trouble RI campaign was launched by Rhode Island Housing in October of 2003 with grant funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Don’t Borrow Trouble RI is a public education initiative that seeks to educate families and individuals about the risk of predatory lending and about available community resources to combat this practice.
The campaign, administered by Rhode Island Housing, is supported by a coalition of partner organizations that include nonprofit housing groups, government agencies, financial institutions, housing and homeownership counseling organizations, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
The Don’t Borrow Trouble RI effort consists of the following principal activities:
- Public Education and Outreach Activities
- Intake and Referral Activities
- Pre- and Post-purchase Counseling
- Individual Legal Representation
- Training and Legal Support Services
The main responsibilities of each of the participating organizations are explained below.
Rhode Island Housing
Rhode Island Housing, the state’s principal housing agency, serves as the lead organization for the Don’t Borrow Trouble RI campaign effort and is responsible for coordinating partner and campaign activity.
Rhode Island Housing and its partners provide the bulk of resources available in the state to low- and moderate-income Rhode Islanders in need of: homebuyer counseling, financial management education, credit repair, foreclosure prevention, predatory loan workout and alternative lending products. In addition, these providers have access to a number of programs that can help families facing financial problems stay in their homes.
To join the campaign or for more information, please email campaigninfo@dontborrowtroubleri.org.
The Housing Network of Rhode Island
The Housing Network houses and staffs the campaign’s consumer Triage and Tracking Center. The Center is the hub for the Don’t Borrow Trouble RI campaign and functions as a state-wide, one-stop intake, resource and referral center for victims of predatory lending and those most at risk. The Housing Network maintains the toll-free number for the Center. Depending on their needs, callers will be referred to either preventive counseling services or programs that restore credit or prevent foreclosure.
The Housing Network coordinates the provision of education, training and one-on-one counseling and case-work through an existing network of providers, including Consumer Credit Counseling Services, the National Consumer Law Center, Rhode Island Legal Services and Rhode Island Housing Resources Commission.
Consumer Credit Counseling Services
Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS), is a nonprofit community service organization which provides confidential financial guidance, debt management assistance and credit repair services.
RI Legal Services
Rhode Island Legal Services (RILS), through its Consumer Law Center, provides high-quality representation in consumer matters to low-income and elderly individuals and families statewide, focused on stabilizing and improving clients’ economic self-sufficiency and housing situations. RILS maintains a full-time attorney who is assigned to provide legal representation to individuals identified by the Center as being the victims of predatory lending practices.
The attorney assigned to the Center is responsible for representation of low income and elderly persons in civil matters that may arise from predatory lending practices, including: bankruptcy protection; mortgage foreclosure prevention and/or tax lien sale prevention of real estate; investigation of predatory lending claims and filing appropriate legal action on behalf of victims of predatory lending; and other consumer related matters; participation in educational forums dealing with predatory lending. Outreach includes preparation and dissemination of program materials to referring agencies, briefing staff or RILS and other agencies on the services offered by the consumer law center and delivery of presentations to potential client groups. The attorney works with individual clients and prepares appropriate legal pleadings and other documents.
The Feinstein Institute for Legal Services at the Ralph R. Papitto School of Law at Roger Williams University supports the work of RILS by providing law students to assist the Consumer Law Center attorney with intake and referral services to clients participating in the Predatory Lending program.
The National Consumer Law Center
The National Consumer Law Center ("NCLC") is the nation's leading consumer law expert, helping consumers, their advocates, and public policy makers to effectively use complex consumer laws to protect vulnerable, low-income families. NCLC develops and presents ongoing training to counselors in the Don't Borrow Trouble RI effort. In addition, NCLC provides litigation support to RILS for complex legal cases that emerge from the Don't Borrow Trouble RI effort.