l to r: HUD Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr.; Executive Director Helen Butler, GA Coalition for People's Agenda; Founder and CEO Rita Samuels, GA Coalition of Black Women; Mayor Evelyn Dixon, City of Riverdale; Mayor Willie Burns, and President GA Conference of Black Mayors and SBA SE Regional Administrator Cassius Butts.

The Georgia Conference of Black Mayors recently held their Spring Conference in Atlanta which was attended by community leaders from Georgia as well as the HUD Southeast Regional Administrator Ed Jennings, Jr., senior representatives from the Administration's Regional Environmental Protection Agency and Small Business Administration.

The focus of the conference was on job creation and provided a collaborative environment of information sharing and exchange of success stories with local leaders and their federal partners.

Discussions covered the issues facing mayors in communities throughout Georgia and where and how they can find resources to most effectively
serve those in their own towns especially given the economic challenges of the day.

HUD Regional Administrator Jennings provided keen insight on the need to collaboratively work together as one team to share and partner to preserve local communities facing the blight associated with the foreclosures effecting families throughout the state. Jennings emphasized the need to build stronger awareness of HUD approved housing counselor's services and especially their success. He added that the foreclosure services are free in helping eligible families stay in their homes. Homeownership provides the platform of stability necessary in many cases to provide families hope for a brighter future.

To learn more about what services are available to prevent foreclosure go to Avoiding Foreclosure.