Utahns facing default on their mortgages will have an opportunity Thursday to talk directly to representatives of some of the banks who hold or service their loans, including giant Bank of America.

The Utah Housing Coalition and Utah Foreclosure Crisis Coalition, a group of organizations that provide information and help to residents facing the potential loss of their homes, is presenting "Utah Housing & Ownership Preservation Day." The event will match up homeowners with banks, counselors and other professionals with the aim of trying to avoid foreclosures through loan modifications or other means.

Included will be representatives from BofA, the largest home loan servicer in Utah. Representatives of Fannie Mae, the now-federally owned home loan support company, JP Morgan Chase & Co. and GMAC also will send officials, and there may be others, said Afton January of the Utah Housing Coalition.

"People who are in default or in danger of imminent default, meaning they know they are going to miss mortgage payments soon, can come down and meet with those servicers face to face to see if they can work something out before they go through foreclosure," she said.

Some homeowner advocates say Utah is in the midst of a foreclosure crisis, with mortgage bankers noting that 1 in 10 Utah homeowners is struggling to make payments or already facing foreclosure. That's often been the result of interest rates resetting at higher levels amid economic setbacks at a time when many homes are worth less than what is owed on their mortgages.

Utah ranks fourth worst in the nation for foreclosure rates — one of every 322 housing units, according to the real estate information company RealtyTrac. Only Nevada, Arizona and California fare more poorly.

At the event Thursday, counselors approved by the Department of Housing and Urban Development also will be on hand. January said there will be activities available for children whose parents may have to wait several hours to meet with someone.

She urged homeowners to bring all available documentation, loan papers, proof of income and correspondence with loan servicers.

"They should bring everything they've got in terms of their financials."

tharvey@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tomharveysltrib