The housing crisis continues unabated, and millions of unemployed Americans remain at risk of ending up homeless. But additional government help is arriving from the Obama administration, and nonprofit agencies are making a difference in the efforts of some families to get help from their lenders.
Despite other signs of a growing economic recovery, foreclosures aren't slowing. March racked up 367,056 filings, according to RealtyTrac. That was up 19% from February, and the highest number since RealtyTrac began reporting on them in 2005.
The Congressional Oversight Panel, which is evaluating the federal foreclosure mitigation program, found that the Making Home Affordable plan has done little to help homeowners and, in many cases, has just prolonged their pain.
It's been well-reported that mortgage loan modifications are moving like molasses at big banks. But a little company called Ocwen Financial is using behavioral science to remove the stumbling blocks that get in the way of people trying to keep their homes.
