Celebrities Jump on Foreclosure Bandwagon

On Wednesday, February 11, Queen Latifah will kick off the ""Bringing Hope Home"" bus tour of Newark, New Jersey, to promote foreclosure prevention in the New England community.
The Golden Globe and Grammy award winner and Oscar nominee will be joined by multi-platinum recording artist and actor Wyclef Jean and New York/New Jersey radio personality and actress Angie Martinez.
The purpose of the Newark bus tour is to raise awareness of the foreclosure crisis, as well as the resources available to homeowners to help with their mortgage. Following the tour, the group of celebrities will participate in a roundtable discussion with national and community leaders to further examine the issue of home foreclosure and how it's affecting the community of Newark.
The bus tour and discussion are being sponsored by the ""HOPE NOW"":http://www.hopenow.com alliance, as part of the organization's community outreach initiatives to improve home retention across the United States.
p{=margin-bottom: 0in}. According to market data from ""RealtyTrac"":http://www.realtytrac.com/ContentManagement/pressrelease.aspxxChannelID=9&ItemID=5681&accnt=64847, Newark was ranked 35th among U.S. metros with the highest foreclosure rates in 2008. The city saw a 123 percent annual increase in foreclosures last year.