In October, I announced the creation of the Lt. Governor's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to help Delaware homeowners deal with the growing foreclosure crisis in the state. Together, my office, along with the State Housing Authority, the State Bank Commissioner, and representatives from the private and non-profit communities, have taken steps toward helping as many Delawareans as possible keep their homes.

First, as outlined in the task force's Interim Report, we have secured almost $700,000 in additional funding for the DEMAP program, which helps homeowners who are facing foreclosure through no fault of their own. With commitments from the state, the City of Wilmington, and New Castle County, DEMAP has helped over 60 families stay in their homes.

Second, we have continued our outreach and public awareness efforts by scheduling additional foreclosure prevention workshops. These workshops are currently scheduled through March and provide information on the foreclosure process in Delaware, as well as local and national resources for homeowners. This information is also available on our Foreclosure Prevention website.

While we have made progress in these important areas, there is still much work to be done. In the coming weeks, I will continue to meet with the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force and find the best ways to address this problem here in Delaware.