Fannie Mae sponsored a special open house event Wednesday in Philadelphia to mark the opening of its latest Mortgage Help Center.

The Philly location is the ninth in a series of planned nationwide centers to provide assistance to homeowners in default or at risk of foreclosure.

Fannie Mae president and CEO, Mike Williams, joined representatives from the Philadelphia area public and private sectors at the event.

Patty Hasson, president and executive director of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley, and the Honorable Annette M. Rizzo reportedly attended the opening.

Available to borrowers with Fannie Mae loans, the new facility provides struggling homeowners in Philadelphia the opportunity to meet with experienced housing advisors who speak English and Spanish to discuss their mortgage situations.

The focus, according to Fannie Mae, is to help borrowers better understand the range of foreclosure prevention options and work closely with servicers to achieve a prompt response. The service is free.