Queen Latifah promotes homeowner help

NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Singer-actress Queen Latifah joined in a bus tour of Newark, N.J., Wednesday, promoting options available to help homeowners avoid foreclosures.

The Garden State's largest city is No. 35 of the 100 cities with the highest foreclosure rates, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported Wednesday.

Latifah, a Newark native -- along with singer Wyclef Jean and others -- rode a bus through the city to raise awareness of the foreclosure crisis, the newspaper said.

The bus ride campaign was sponsored by Hope Now, a federally sponsored alliance of non-profit counselors and mortgage industry participants developed to help ease the deepening foreclosure problem across the nation.