 Nort Steuben decided early
in his career that, while he liked both, he preferred teaching to practicing
law. He has been teaching in some way ever since. These days, his teaching
skills are coming in handy in a unique and valuable way: helping some of the
growing number of homeowners who are facing or in the process of foreclosure.
After his retirement, Nort
signed on to volunteer for the Boulder County Housing Authority’s Housing
Counseling program. The Housing Counseling Program, under the direction of
Housing Counseling Coordinator Christopher Hudak, was seeking people interested
in assisting in a new county program to help the growing number of county
residents faced with foreclosure of their homes. Nort was selected for the
program and received training on how to address the problems residents face and
how to guide clients to the resources offered by Housing Counseling, including
information about how to negotiate with lenders.
Many county residents who
need assistance speak primarily Spanish, so Nort and fellow volunteer Tom
Trujillo formed a team and worked together to help these Spanish-speaking
citizens come up with a plan to try to turn their financial situation around.
Nort and Tom helped their clients set up a budget and make plans and goals to
meet their financial obligations. The volunteer team stayed in touch with them
throughout the process.
Nort also contributes to
the work of the Housing Counseling Program by teaching two sections of FINANCIAL
FITNESS, a financial educational program that prepares future homeowners and
others for financial success and self sufficiency by teaching basic financial
survival tools.
Nort and the Volunteer
Housing Counselors work with each client to try to come up with a plan to avoid
foreclosure. This program has helped many who otherwise might have had to give
up their homes.
Summing up his work, Nort
says, “It’s a wonderful feeling when you have been able to work with a homeowner
and come up with a plan the homeowner can follow that will enable the homeowner
to retain his/her home.”
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