Thousands of people showed up to get free help renegotiating their mortgages today at the World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The non-profit agency Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America has set up shop through Tuesday counseling homeowners and acting as a mediator between them and lenders.

Some people camped out overnight. Christie Kilgore from Woodstock Georgia arrived this morning. She says a string of misfortune has had her trying to refinance her home since 2008, and she can’t afford $1,400 a month anymore for her five bedroom house.

"When the home was struck by the tornado, I was given a forbearance and at the end of the forbearance I was laid off, and four months later I get a foreclosure notice, so I had to file chapter 13 to stop the foreclosure and I’m trying to work with the banks, so I had do dismiss the bankruptcy so I could," says Kilgore. "You know, I want to keep my home; I don’t want to uproot my children."

Kilgore and others waiting for help say since the housing bust, they’re paying much more than their homes are worth.

NACA says 17,000 people have showed up since Thursday evening and this is the greatest turnout on its tour so far.

Georgia currently ranks 6th in the country for its foreclosure rate.

Tags: Georgia, mortgage, HUD, Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, foreclosure crisis, housing bust, mortgage crisis