Foundation: Homeowner Distress Calls Surging

The Homeownership Preservation Foundation, Minneapolis, has reported a doubling in the number of homeowners calling its 888-995-HOPE hotline in the fourth quarter. The national hotline, which helps borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments, received more than 143,000 calls in the fourth quarter, twice the total received in the third quarter and nearly 10 times that of the first quarter, the foundation said. More information on the hotline can be found on the Web at http://www.995hope.org.