Looking Back: The Experiences of Four Midwest Families After Receiving Foreclosure Counseling Services

The Great Recession produced significant job loss, which precipitated housing instability and the need for foreclosure prevention services for some households. To help meet the needs of struggling homeowners, housing counseling agencies provided education and assistance to offer support. However, after services ended and housing outcomes were identified, families returned to their daily life. Little is known about the experiences and needs of households during and after receiving housing counseling services. This qualitative, in-depth, phenomenological assessment gives voice to the experience of housing instability for families 3 years after initially receiving services from an agency in one economically challenged, urban, Midwestern community. The findings from this study highlight the experience of four Midwestern families, through the use of Seidman’s (Interviewing as qualitative research, 4th edn. Teachers College Press, New York, 2012) three stage interview design, in which the researchers conducted three distinct interviews with each of four participants and two interviews with former housing counselors from the same agency. The findings reveal four key supportive factors that emerged for participants. They include: the importance of faith, family, positivity, and income supports.