Nearly 200 Franklin County families have kept their homes from foreclosure, thanks to a 9-month-old effort by a group of nonprofit organizations.

According to findings to be released today outlining the efforts of the Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Initiative, 195 families in the county were able to avoid foreclosure and 4,000 families statewide were counseled on where to find help to avoid losing their homes.

"Getting access to help early is the big issue," said Amy Klaben, president and CEO of the Columbus Housing Partnership, which is working with NeighborWorks America to promote the foreclosure-prevention initiative.

The Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Initiative was organized in April by Columbus Housing Partnership working with NeighborWorks America and 11 other nonprofit organizations to address Ohio 's high foreclosure rate, which is among the worst in the nation.

Several government agencies and private companies donate money to the initiative's assistance fund.

"We want to spread the word that there is hope and there are solutions out there for families," Klaben said. "When you call early, we can help."

The program includes a hot line that provides families with information on where they can find help in preventing a foreclosure. Since its introduction, the hot line has averaged nearly 15 calls a day, Klaben said.

The average family counseled through the hot line earns less than $50,000. About 41 percent have a fixed-rate mortgage; 43 percent have an adjustable rate mortgage.

Ohio led the nation in the percentage of homes in foreclosure during the third quarter of 2006, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association study. Its rate is three times the U.S. average. More than 4,000 homes in Franklin County were foreclosed on last year, according to county records.

To help families, the Columbus Housing Partnership offers financial help to low- to moderate-income families. The program, called the Ohio Home Rescue Fund, will grant qualifying homeowners up to $3,000 to bring them current with their mortgage.

So far, 15 families in Franklin County have sought help through the fund, said Loretta King, a loan-program manager at the Columbus Housing Partnership.

"We still have a very high foreclosure rate, but this onetime assistance could help families to stabilize and stay in their homes," said Les Warner, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Development, which contributed money to the fund.

"Foreclosure takes a toll on the family and the community by destabilizing the lives of children and increasing the number of abandoned or vacant homes," he said. "It's in everybody's benefit to work to prevent the foreclosure from happening."

While praising the program for its initial success, Mike Brown, spokesman for Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman, said there is still more work to be done.

"It's a very good sign, but if you look at the numbers, we are still only helping a small percentage of those people who are in danger of foreclosure and we need to continue to build upon those successes," Brown said.