Sheriff William P. Mullen last night offered hope -- and a plan -- to Allegheny County residents faced with losing their homes through mortgage foreclosure.

While the details remain to be worked out, Sheriff Mullen said, he envisions his deputies delivering notices for "reconciliation hearings" rather than notices for eviction and sheriff's sales.

The hearings, he said, would give beleaguered homeowners the chance to meet with lawyers, lenders and a hearing officer acting as a referee to agree on a reasonable mortgage rate, thus avoiding foreclosure. He proposed the arrangement to Allegheny County Common Pleas President Judge Joseph M. James four weeks ago and has scheduled another meeting next week to discuss it further.

"The hardest thing to do, and what everybody's complaining about, is getting the lenders to the table to meet with the borrowers," Sheriff Mullen said. "And Judge James can order that."

The sheriff offered what he called "a ray of hope" to more than 125 people attending a community forum last night in Teamsters Hall in Lawrenceville. The event was organized by the Allegheny County chapter of ACORN -- the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now -- which is working to help struggling homeowners.

ACORN representatives said foreclosures and the vacant houses that often accompany them lead to rising crime rates and falling property values.

Local ACORN organizer Maryellen Hayden said the group had been hoping the sheriff would agree to a moratorium on foreclosures, but she still hailed his proposal as "a victory."

"We're talking and we're still working," said Ms. Hayden, who added that when given the opportunity and the cooperation of all parties, ACORN has been able to save the homes of 80 percent of those who turn to the agency for help.

Home foreclosures are on the rise nationally, and Western Pennsylvania is no exception. The Center for Responsible Lending estimates that 19 percent of loans made in the United States in 2005 and 2006 will lead to foreclosures. Locally, ACORN officials estimate that 1,459 home loans made in 2006 in the Pittsburgh area are likely to go into foreclosure

A moratorium on foreclosures, while of dubious legality, is not unheard of. In 1983, then-Common Pleas Judge Nicholas Papadakos, an administrative judge in Allegheny County's Civil Division, ordered a halt to mortgage foreclosures to keep unemployed steel workers from losing their homes.

While Sheriff Mullen said he must continue to carry out court-ordered foreclosures, County Council President Rich Fitzgerald and county Councilman James Ellenbogen hailed his proposal for reconciliation hearings.

"We are extremely lucky, in Allegheny County, that we have a sheriff who is proactive and is out working to find solutions to the problems that we all have," Mr. Fitzgerald said. "Not every county has this. There are a lot of counties in this commonwealth and this country whose sheriffs aren't concerned about people who are having problems paying their mortgages in this very difficult economy."

Sheriff Mullen said he knew what they were going through because years ago, his sister had cancer and couldn't support herself and almost lost her home.

"But through the help of her friends and family, she was able to live in her home until the day she died in 2004," he said.

ACORN members used the event to meet with residents, advising them and getting them to start filling out paperwork.

ACORN leader Linda Lee told of her grandfather buying a home in Pittsburgh and how proud everyone in the family was.

"And we wanted everyone in our family to be homeowners in Pittsburgh," Ms. Lee said.

Ms. Lee said her family members and friends "did everything they could and thought they did everything right. But predatory lenders took advantage of them."

"The same thing is happening all over [the country]," she said. "But this strikes right here. ... And if we don't find a solution today, tomorrow's dreams may never be."

Thomas Brennan, his wife, three children and a grandchild have lived in their Millvale home since 2003. Recently, however, Mr. Brennan, a 46-year-old mechanic, has been unable to keep up with his mortgage payments.

He reached out to ACORN in April and has had counseling and is meeting with his mortgage company.

""Getting ACORN involved has helped," he said. "But it's a time-consuming process.

"There's still a chance we could lose our home, but I'm optimistic. We're just doing the best we can to move forward."

Those wishing to contact ACORN can visit the group's Web site at acorn.org or call 412-441-6551.