As you probably know, 2008 was a record year for home foreclosures. Here at home in Michiana, it was no exception -- especially in the state of Michigan.

That's what motivated Benton Harbor's mayor to host an informational meeting on foreclosures Monday night.

Officials say Berrien County's Benton Harbor has one of the highest foreclosures rates in the state. They say the two main reasons people are losing their homes there are job losses and people over-extending themselves, getting into something they couldn't afford.

Benton Harbor's City Assessor and Berrien County's Treasurer were also there to address people's questions and concerns on the issues of the foreclosure process. There were also foreclosure counseling specialists on-hand from Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency.

They hope that educating the public on the issue will help more people address their problem and be able to stay in their homes.

“We had a number of foreclosures and I think Benton Harbor must have 30 to 40% of foreclosures in the county and I think that's an inordinate amount and I think we have to work on that and do something about that -- and this is the first step in bridging the gap and plugging in that hole,” says Benton Harbor Mayor Wilce Cooke.

"I think the biggest thing that staff at our agency have said is don't wait until the last minute. A lot of times we get people that are coming in as the fire sale is about to happen and it's very difficult for us to do anything at that point because the negotiations we’re able to do, the advocacy we’re able to do is best when there’s time,” says Twyla Smith, Deputy Director of the Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency.

“It's just we have more circumstances that we're dealing with than we would have a year or two ago, which makes our office have to be more flexible than what we’ve had in past,” says Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski.

There are resources that provide free counseling and advice to people who are facing or could be facing foreclosure. For more information, click on the links listed below.