About NTIC

The National Training and Information Center is a 35 year-old network of community organizations that is dedicated to community organizing as a means of creating a more just and equitable society. NTIC is made up of 18 affiliate organizations in 10 states and works with 50 additional allied organizations from across the country.

NTIC is most famous for leading the 1976 passage of the Community Reinvestment Act, a piece of landmark policy that has resulted in over $3 trillion worth of home loans being made in low-income neighborhoods.

NTIC started its campaign against predatory lending and for homeowner justice in 1999.  Since then NTIC has held some of the nation’s largest lending institutions accountable and has developed national lending partnerships to clean up the industry and keep families in their homes.

NTIC seeks to develop the talent, organizations, and ideas that will create a more just and equitable society.  Learn more about NTIC.

The HOT SPOT Card:  NTIC’s Community-Led Foreclosure Prevention Program

Preventing foreclosures, preserving homeownership, increasing access to capital 

Hot Spot Card Program Prevents Home Foreclosures 

In 2003, NTIC began developing the Community-Led Foreclosure Prevention Program. This program uses a HOT SPOT Card^TM to identify and assist families in jeopardy of losing their home to foreclosure. Through partnerships with Citifinancial, JP Morgan Chase, Select Portfolio Servicing and Ocwen Financial, the HOT SPOT Card™ (HSC), is used to help families stay in their homes with new loan terms they can afford.  

The HOT SPOT Card^TM Program Assists Families in all 50 States 

NTIC works with homeowners in all 50 states to help them avoid foreclosure. Through NTIC’s affiliates community organizations, homeowners throughout the states of Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas and in the metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Detroit, Indianapolis and Syracuse get face-to-face assistance to help them save their homes from foreclosure. Working with NTIC, local grassroots organizations in these areas administer the Community-Led Foreclosure Prevention Program locally and meet with financial industry partners regularly to monitor the community-corporate partnerships.  Any homeowners outside of these areas, work directly with NTIC Foreclosure Prevention Specialists to work out a resolution with their lender/servicer. 

The Step-by-Step Process is Simple and Effective  

A homeowner in jeopardy of losing their home to foreclosure contacts NTIC or contacts an NTIC affiliate organization. The contact is typically made through referral by another organization (i.e. Center for Responsible Lending), through a media report or via the NTIC website.  

If the homeowner resides in a state or city with an NTIC affiliate that administers the HOT SPOT Card^TM Program, the homeowners is referred directly to the local organization. 

If the homeowner is outside of the areas listed above, NTIC works directly with the homeowner. 

If the homeowner’s lender or servicer is Citifinancial, JP Morgan Chase, Select Portfolio Servicing, Ocwen Financial, Argent, Countrywide, or Litton Loan Servicing,  the homeowner completes a HOT SPOT Card^TM  and financial form. The borrower is encouraged to submit any additional documentation it if offers more support of their claim (cancelled checks, W-2s, pay stubs, money order receipts, ect.). 

The HOT SPOT Card^TM  is then sent to the appropriate company.  

Through NTIC’s formal agreements with Citifinancial and Select Portfolio Servicing, the company immediately puts all foreclosure proceedings on hold for the homeowner. All other partners often also place foreclosure proceedings on hold to work with the borrower on a solution. 

The lender/servicer works with the borrower and NTIC or NTIC’s affiliate organization to propose a resolution within 30 days that will keep the family in the home. The resolution may include a forbearance, loan modification or other options.§         All parties negotiate to reach a mutually acceptable resolution. 

NTIC serves as central communications for all dealings with lenders/servicers. 

NTIC monitors the program nationally and coordinates quarterly meetings between lender/servicer partners and community organizations. The Model Program Works! Working with lender partners, the NTIC HOT SPOT Card^TM Program has prevented thousands of foreclosures, returned millions of dollars to homeowners and protected the investments of the financial industry. This model program has proven itself as a critical tool in preventing the further deterioration of neighborhoods and the devastation of families through foreclosures. NTIC is in the midst of conducting a full analysis of the effectiveness of the program. Below is a snapshot of results based on a 750 case sample of the HOT SPOT Card^TM  Program. 

Preliminary Results of a HOT SPOT Card^TM Program Sample of  Cases

• 85 days = Time to Resolution. Average time it takes from the initial Hot Spot Card submission to reach a final resolution on a defaulted loan. This is about half the time it takes other foreclosure prevention programs.
• 75% = Resolution Rate. Percentage of all cases eligible for the program that have reached resolution.
• 98% = Home Ownership Retention Rate. Percentage of all cases that reached resolution where the homeowner was able to stay in the home.
• $47 million = Neighborhood Property Value Protected. Based on finding by the Woodstock Institute that there is a 0.9% decrease in property value within a 1/8^th of a mile from the property.

NTIC has hundreds of stories from homeowners who have been assisted through the the HOT SPOT Card^TM Program.  

We hope you will help NTIC “Save the American Dream”. Your charitable contributions are fully tax deductible.