Grants available to help after foreclosure

A new pilot program aims to give families relocation assistance after foreclosure.

The Minnesota Home Ownership Center will use $125,000 from the St. Paul Foundation to help about 50 families who lose their homes to foreclosure.

The maximum grant amount is $2,500. The pilot program is restricted to those who owned a home in Dakota, Ramsey or Washington Counties, but the program could be extended metrowide depending on need and the availability of funding.

The grants are aimed at people who've gone through foreclosure and need some bridge money until they are back on their feet, according to Ed Nelson, of the Minnesota Home Ownership Center.

Nelson says the grant could help cover things like security deposits and utility bills.

"The overarching goal of these grants is to prevent a family from going from home ownership to homelessness," said Nelson.

Grant applicants must prove they can afford monthly rent in their new housing, among other criteria.

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