As headlines shift to a recovery in the housing market, with an increase in national home values and home sales, it’s easy to forget that many of our friends and neighbors are still struggling through the bad economy. Last year, more than 28,000 Illinois families lost their homes, and the foreclosure rate in Illinois continues to be high.

Determining what options are available can be a daunting task. When time is wasted, the amount required for a homeowner to bring his or her loan current can escalate quickly.

Gov. Pat Quinn launched the Illinois Foreclosure Prevention Network last year to ensure that homeowners can efficiently and easily access all resources they need in one place, free of charge, from a reliable and trusted source.