The COVID-19 pandemic created upheaval in people’s lives, especially the most vulnerable, and NCLC worked with allies, government officials, and businesses, to help. This list of resources, updated as new information is available, is a guide to help families navigate their financial lives during turbulent times.General Consumer ProtectionsAutosBanks and Prepaid Card AccountsBankruptcyCredit and DebtCredit ReportingCriminal [...]

March 2018 Print in PDF  The federal Lifeline program helps low-income households afford voice and broadband internet service. After Hurricane Katrina, Lifeline cell phone service helped economically fragile families displaced by natural disaster connect once again to the outside world to access disaster assistance, employers, family, and community to begin the process of rebuilding their [...]

Don’t get burned by scammers – know the facts about debt relief!  March 2018 Print in PDF Debt relief is the generic name for different ways you can manage your bills. This fact sheet covers different types of debt relief and what you should watch out for. Debt relief scammers often target people in financial [...]

Mortgage Servicing Litigation Guide by the National Consumer Law Center© A. Checklists and Charts Checklist for Tracking Compliance with the RESPA Loss Mitigation Rules (MS Word) Checklist for reviewing RESPA Loss Mitigation Notices to Borrowers (PDF) Mortgage Servicing Claims Chart (PDF) Call Log for Pending Loss Mitigation Application (MS Word) B. Sample Qualified Written Requests Sample RFI About a [...]

How Project Stay Connected and NCLC Helped Keep the Lights and Heat On The odds were stacked against Carol D. As a low-income, disabled, elderly widow living in an all-electric home, Carol thought that with all the personal and financial hardships she was facing, her utility company would surely help when she fell behind on [...]

NCLC works closely with utility regulatory commissions, utility companies, and advocates for public policy changes so that low-income households can move beyond worrying whether their utility services will be shut off. More affordable utility service lowers overall housing costs, decreases homelessness and frees up resources that can pay for food, medicine, mortgage or rent payments, [...]

Through Stay Connected, NCLC attorneys conduct trainings for non-attorney advocates and front-line social service workers to help low-income Massachusetts residents avoid termination of their utility services. Advocates learn the eligibility requirements for electric utility discounts, how to prevent service from being shut off, and how to restore service if it was terminated. In-person TrainingsTo schedule [...]

Project Stay Connected helps low-income people to maintain heating, electricity, gas, and phone services. NCLC provides training and case advice for front-line social service workers and advocates in Massachusetts. Read how Project Stay Connected helped Carol We also advocate for more consumer-friendly rules and practices regarding shut-offs of utility services, promote discount rates and reasonable [...]

HOT TOPICS Statement Regarding CFPB Revamp of Mortgage Rules That Will Protect Lenders from Legal Liability for Peddling Unaffordable Loans, Increase Foreclosures, and Create Instability in the Mortgage Market, Dec. 10, 2020 Press release: HUD Guts Civil Rights Rule Used to Address Systemic Discrimination in the Housing Market on the Dawn of an Eviction and [...]

Policy Analysis Briefs & Press Releases Issue Brief: A Guide for Advocates to Recent Federal Covid-19 Relief to Help Consumers Pay for Essential Energy, Water, and Broadband Service, March 2021 Issue Brief: Broadband Service is a Racial Equity Priority, September 2020 Comments, Letters, & Testimony Presentation: Disparate Energy Insecurity Impacts: The Need For Racial Justice [...]