PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh seems to be bucking the national trend when it comes to the mortgage crisis. From 2006 to 2007, foreclosures dropped in the city, but it might not stay that way for long.

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Pittsburgh avoided the real estate bubble, but there are thousands of sub-prime loans on the books. But all is not lost, and now is the time to act, even if your home is being foreclosed.

There are things that you can and should now to keep from losing your home.

Dan Sullivan, the director of Action Housing, which is a nonprofit organization that deals with homeowners in turmoil, said too many people get scared too fast.

"When they fall behind on their mortgage, they get nervous," said Sullivan. "It's their home. It's not like a credit card."

Some people say they have tried to call their lender and were told nothing can be done, but Sullivan said that's not true. He said that's where his group and almost a dozen others across the city come in.

"Say you were just layed off and you can make your mortgage payment next month, but you don't know what you are going to do the following month. Call us," he said. "If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, call us. And don't be afraid to contact everyone."

The first step is to pick up the phone. Action Housing is a federally funded program, where counselors will mediate with your mortgage company for free.

Be proactive, and don't wait, Sullivan said. The faster you act, the better chance you have of working a deal with your bank. Not doing anything only makes the situation worse.

Also, call 311. The mayor's office recently made the unprecedented move to offer Pittsburgh homeowners information by calling the city hot line.

"The mayor's very concerned that people have this information, and he wanted to make as easily accessible as possible, so there's not much easier than calling 311," said 311 director Wendy Urbanic.

The bottom line is if you are losing your home, help is only a phone call away.

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Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office said the following are agencies that provide a broad range of foreclosure assistance services. Unless otherwise noted, all are certified by the Pennsylvania Housing Agency (PHFA).

Neighborhood Housing Services (currently changing their name to NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania)- DOWNTOWN
710 5th Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412.281.9773

Action Housing, Inc.- DOWNTOWN
425 6th Ave, Suite 950
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412.281.2102 or 1.800.792.2801

Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (NOT PHFA certified but great for neighborhood referrals)- HILL DISTRICT
1901 Centre Ave, Suite 200
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
412.391.6732

CCCS of Western PA- SOUTH SIDE
River Park Commons
2403 Sidney Street, Suite 400
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
1.888.511.2227

Urban League of Pittsburgh- DOWNTOWN
One Smithfield Street, 3rd floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412.227.4802

Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh- STRIP DISTRICT
2840 Liberty Ave, Suite 205
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412.391.2535

Garfield Jubilee Associates- GARFIELD
5138 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
412.665.5200 or 412.665.5204

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