Mortgage-aid plan limping along
Struggling homeowners were given hope when a federal housing initiative to help millions avoid foreclosure was announced by President Barack Obama in Mesa four months ago.
The key part of the $75 million Making Home Affordable plan was a loan-modification program that compensated lenders for lowering the mortgage payments of borrowers who were making less money because of the recession. The government offered banks and borrowers bonuses for making loan modifications work. Most of the big lenders agreed to participate.
So far the plan isn’t working as anticipated. Many eligible Valley homeowners can’t reach anyone at their lender who will work with them. More people are losing their jobs, which makes them ineligible for the government-backed program. For many of those who did get a modified payment, there was a harsh discovery. Modifications often were made on a three-month trial basis, and now lenders are revoking the terms – sometimes even when payments are met – and leaving some homeowners with the old payments they can’t afford.