Busy Housing Court To Get 4 More Judges

CHICAGO (WBBM) - A look at the 28th floor of the Daley Center--where Cook County's foreclosure court is located--is a bleak snapshot of the housing crisis.

It's a place that is busy and getting busier.

Foreclosures were up about 48 percent in the first half of the year.

They're expected to surpass 42,000 by year's end.

To keep up with demand, the Chicago Tribune reports, the number of judges hearing the cases has been increased from 10 to 14.

And it's not just about dealing with the current load, but what's to come.

Since foreclosures can take a year to get through the system, what they're dealing with now are last year's foreclosures. So, the full impact of the housing crisis, while certainly evident now, is yet to come.

Things are expected to get worse.

And consider this: County officials say 80 percent of the cases go uncontested, meaning they don't end up in court.