The Idaho attorney general's Consumer Protection Division will hold several free workshops in the Treasure Valley this month and next to help Idaho homeowners understand how to prevent foreclosure, how the foreclosure process works, and how a new national settlement affects them.

The nation's five largest mortgage servicers will pay more than $100 million in direct relief to Idahoans. These include Idaho homeowners whose mortgages are owned and serviced by the banks, and people who lost their homes in foreclosures and had mortgages serviced by those banks.

Housing Specialist Ramon Hobdey-Sanchez will make presentations. All workshop starting times are at 6 p.m.:

Payette: Tuesday, Jan. 29 at Payette County Courthouse, District Court Room, 1130 3rd Ave. N.

Mountain Home: Wednesday, Jan. 30 at Mountain Home Senior Citizens Center, 1000 N. 3rd E.

Nampa: Tuesday, Feb. 5 at Nampa City Hall, City Council Chambers, 411 3rd St. S.

Meridian: Thursday, Feb. 7, Meridian City Hall, conference room, 33 E. Broadway Ave.

Caldwell: Wednesday, Feb. 13 at Caldwell Public Library, 1010 Dearborn St.

Boise: Wednesday, Feb. 20 at Hillside Junior High, 3536 W. Hill Road.