As the number of foreclosures rises, so does the need for help.

The reasons people face foreclosure are many. However, irresponsibility has little to do with it, said Laura Robeson, a foreclosure intervention counselor with Umpqua Community Development Corp. A lot of people just get in over their heads.

“Many are upside down in their homes and can’t refinance,” she said.

Robeson recently attended a week-long training session in Eugene, where counselors talked about their swelling workloads.

Statewide, “we’re kind of expecting it to get worse before it gets better,” she said.

Since Senate Bill 628 passed last year, requiring lenders to discuss loan modifications with borrowers facing foreclosure, banks have seen requests pouring in.

“They continue to come in almost every day,” said Kathryn Jackson, vice president of commercial and mortgage lending at Oregon First Community Credit Union.

She said they’ve had many successful loan modifications.

The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Coos-Curry, likewise, is fielding a lot of inquiries, said executive director Debbie Pickering. The nonprofit isn’t HUD certified to do foreclosure mitigation, but it can point people in the right direction.

The organization can help guide clients to manage debt properly so they can make mortgage payments.

“A lot of times, doing adjustments on their other debts can forestall a foreclosure,” Pickering said.

Anticipating an increased demand for foreclosure counseling services, the Development Corporation recently received grants from the Meyer Memorial Trust Fund and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation to assist more worried homeowners in Coos and Curry counties, Robeson said.

The counseling has proven effective in many cases, but Robeson makes no promises.

“There is not a solution for every single person,” she said.

And there are no quick fixes.

“It can be very drawn out, … but we stick with them throughout the process,” Robeson added.