Getting free foreclosure help to become harder?

Chapter 5 of Save My Home recommends places to call for free or low-cost help, just as Chapter 4 warns you away from many "foreclosure consultants" who charge for the same help and information. And on this site's Resources page, I recommend the nonprofit site foreclosurehelpandhope.org, whose counselors are available by phone at 888-995-HOPE.

But a story in yesterday's NY Times suggests that (a) the organization has conflicting interests, and (b) it's understaffed, forcing callers to stay on hold for as much as 50 minutes.

I won't comment yet on the first assertion: while the evidence is compelling, the jury's still out. (And to be quite honest, I'm reluctant to pull my recommendation from one of the few free resources out there unless there's clear malfeasance.)

But the second claim -- that the group is overburdened -- is just as serious. If that's true, the problem's only going to get worse as more people learn about the group's free help (such as, ahem, through this Web site). And if the foreclosure rate continues to go up... well, waits will get even longer.

One thing's for sure: The organization's off to a stumbling start. First, our illustrious President misstated the group's phone number in its launch announcement. Second, three (or more?) competing groups (or at least, Web sites) seem to share that number: hopenow.com, foreclosurehelpandhope.org, and 995hope.org. I've written to all three to ask them to clarify their relationship, and will report back here.

In the meantime? Read my book (of course!) and try to help each other out in the forums. And if you do call any of those groups, please let us know how it goes by posting in this thread.