{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://johnlewis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-john-lewis-responds-sigtarp-audit-results-and-mismanagement-georgia", "Rep. John Lewis Responds to SIGTARP Audit Results and Mismanagement of Georgias Foreclosure Funds", "2017-10-13", "2017", "2017-10", "Democrat", "House", "GA", "John Lewis", "L000287", "johnlewis.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON\u2014 In 2016, Rep. John Lewis asked the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) to audit the state-run Hardest Hit Fund (HHF), TARP\u2019s primary federal foreclosure mitigation program in Atlanta. Today, SIGTARP released its final audit. \u00a0SIGTARP\u2019s audit discovered statewide mismanagement by Georgia\u2019s Department of Community Affairs (DCA), which is the state\u2019s housing finance agency and Treasury\u2019s HHF contractor.\u00a0\nKnown locally in Georgia as the HomeSafe program, HHF promised $7.6 billion to States with high unemployment and home value losses.\u00a0 In 2010, Georgia was included in the third round of funding. \u00a0To date the State has received over $300 million, of which only $130 million remain available to assist Georgian homeowners.\u00a0\nAccording to SIGTARP, there are currently 22,000 Georgians who are behind in their mortgage payments.\u00a0 Although DCA\u2019s HomeSafe Georgia website states that the Mortgage Payment Assistance and Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance programs are closed to new applicants, HomeSafe Georgia\u2019s Mortgage Principal Reduction program is still accepting new applicants.\nFor five years, Rep. Lewis repeatedly urged for HomeSafe funding to serve Georgian homeowners most affected by the economic crisis.\u00a0 He led multiple Congressional initiatives requesting responsible amendments of the contracts between the Department of the Treasury and local housing finance agencies with the purpose of increasing program participation.\u00a0\nUpon reviewing the SIGTARP audit results, Rep. John Lewis made the following statement:\n\u201cStruggling homeowners expected, demanded, and deserved for government officials not only to hold those who created these crises accountable but also to do all they could to help homeowners recover.\u00a0 \n\u201cIn response to the Great Recession, Congress provided desperately needed resources to help families stay in their homes.\u00a0 The responsibility then fell to State agencies to ensure that homeowners received the assistance Congress authorized\n\u201cSIGTARP\u2019s report shows that the HomeSafe Georgia program was shamefully managed.\u00a0 Unfortunately, despite repeated warnings, too many Georgian communities never received the assistance they expected and deserved.\u00a0 Time and time again, the agency failed to reach Georgia homeowners, who only sought the help promised to them.\u00a0 \n\u201cSadly, we know that African-American communities shouldered the worst of the foreclosure crisis and face the slowest recovery.\u00a0 Too many homeowners continue to struggle through no fault of their own.\u00a0 They were robbed of their nest egg -- their pathway to the middle class -- and in many cases, working parents were stripped of their children\u2019s inheritance.\u00a0 This is their reality, and for many it is devastating. \n\u201cToday, I thank Christy Goldsmith Romero, Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and everyone on her team for responding to repeated calls for accountability and justice.\n\u201cEvery second makes the difference to those who are struggling to keep a roof over their head.\u00a0 Now that we have the facts before us, I hope that the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and State leaders will find the will and the way to do what is right, what is just, and what is long overdue to serve and protect Georgian homeowners.\u201d\n####", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://johnlewis.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-john-lewis-responds-sigtarp-audit-results-and-mismanagement-georgia"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6898319590836763, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}