More than 300 Long Island homeowners struggling to avoid foreclosure had their loans reviewed by bank and mortgage servicing company representatives last Saturday, during a forum hosted by Senator Craig M. Johnson and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.

The event is the latest part of Operation Protect Your Home, a program aimed at helping those at risk of foreclosure that is jointly sponsored by members of the State Senate with participation by the New York State Banking Department and various lending institutions and counseling agencies.

During the forum, mortgage lenders, counselors and attorneys worked with individual borrowers on identifying potential ways to prevent unnecessary foreclosures. Various agencies present at the forum provided information about government programs. Additionally, a series of presentations were made that promoted financial literacy, with a focus on credit and foreclosure. Approximately 330 Nassau and Suffolk County residents attended Operation Protect Your Home Long Island.

"We simply could not sit on the sidelines while Long Island becomes the epicenter of this foreclosure crisis," Senator Johnson said. "It is our hope that by bringing the lenders and the homeowners together, we can help those on the brink of foreclosure, and once again make their homes a safe haven. I thank County Executive Suozzi, the lenders, and all of our partners in this very important program."

As of April, there were 911 foreclosed properties in Nassau County, accounting for 32 percent of all foreclosures in the five boroughs, as well as Nassau and Westchester counties, according to a report released by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Jeff Klein, who spearheaded Operation Protect Your Home. The communities of Elmont and Westbury had the second and third highest number of bank-owned properties in Nassau, with 70 and 48 properties respectively.

"The loss of a home during a financial crisis is personally devastating," said County Executive Suozzi. "This program brings homeowners, banks and counselors together to mitigate losses and prevent unnecessary foreclosures. We will do our best to offer Nassau County residents any assistance that will help those at risk of losing their homes. I thank Senator Johnson for taking this initiative."

The Westbury event is the latest in a series of Operation Protect Your Home forums that have been held across the state. To date, this program has helped more than 1,600 working and middle class families from Brooklyn to Buffalo avoid foreclosure.

"We've identified the borrowers and it's now up to the banks to restore faith in the American Dream," said Senator Jeff Klein. "I am proud that we've been able to work with our partners in the private sector, to provide New Yorkers with the resources they need to keep them in their homes and out of foreclosure. We will not permit innocent families to sink further into the sands of hopelessness. Help is here."

Lender representatives from Countrywide, Chase, Citi, Option One, Home Loan Services, Ocwen, Wells Fargo, Wilshire, and WAMU participated in the forum.

Since Operation Protect Your Home kicked off in February, nearly 30,000 letters have been sent to homeowners who are 30-60 days in default inviting them to take part in the program. The letters are signed by their senators and State Banking Superintendent Richard H. Neiman, who was also on hand for today's event.