Foreclosure

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Republican Party went after Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner on Thursday for "perpetuating a leftwing blog conspiracy about voter registration challenges." The situation came about after a Michigan-based website misstated an Ohio GOP official's comments in an article that said Republicans were planning to challenge homeowners on foreclosure lists to keep them from voting. 

State Rep. Steve Driehaus (D-Price Hill) stood outside of a foreclosed home in his own neighborhood Thursday morning to fire back at U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) for an ad the Chabot campaign has begun airing that hits Driehaus on the foreclosure issue.

The Driehaus campaign pointed to his role on Gov. Ted Strickland's Foreclosure Prevention Task Force as evidence that Driehaus "has seen firsthand how foreclosed homes can have a tremendously negative impact on middle class families by dramatically lowering the value of neighboring homes, decreasing tax revenue for schools and municipal services and providing havens for crime."

"Congressman Steve Chabot has been absent for the 14 years he has been in Washington on not only the housing and foreclosure issue, but many others," Driehaus said. "Instead of launching deceptive attacks, our congressman should identify what he has actually done to help curb the housing crisis in the District.

Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray (D-Grove City) was selected by Neighbor Works America as the national recipient of the State Government Service Award for achievement in establishing community-strengthening programs and sustaining homeownership.

Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater Cleveland nominated Cordray for the award.

Neighborhood Housing Services executive director Lou Tisler spoke about Cordray's efforts to deal with the foreclosure problem in Ohio.

"Treasurer Cordray's urgent response to the foreclosure crisis in Ohio has served as a pillar of support for organizations like ours, which aim to reverse the trend and rebuild the financial security of our communities," he said.

The award recognizes Cordray's efforts throughout Ohio to create Save Our Homes taskforces, which are local coalitions of public, non-profit, and private sector leaders that work to stem the tide of home foreclosures in their communities.