DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — It's called "Save the Dream" and state officials hope it will help Ohioans save their homes from foreclosure, even if the slogan is borrowed from Michigan.

The program backing the slogan includes a $135,000 advertising campaign with radio and TV ads that will run from March through August and a new Web site: www.savethedream.ohio.gov/

There also is a hot line, 1-888-404-4674, that will be staffed from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. from Monday through Friday.

Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, also the state development director, and Commerce Director Kimberly Zurz unveiled the program on Thursday, March 13.

Zurz said the program supports the No. 1 recommendation from Gov. Ted Strickland's Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Task Force — a public awareness campaign and borrower outreach events.

Zurz said the state had received permission from Michigan to use the same slogan it uses in a foreclosure prevention program. She said that instead of coming up with something "catchy" on their own, Ohio officials found the Michigan slogan "so meaningful."

Also, Doug Garver, executive director of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, announced that his agency within about two weeks will be distributing nearly $3.1 million in additional housing counseling funds to 18 organizations around the state, including in Dayton, to increase foreclosure counseling efforts.

Ohio has been hit hard by foreclosures and the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that in the fourth quarter of 2007 Ohio had 3.88 percent of all loans in foreclosure — the highest of any state, a press release said.

Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.