Mortgage Informer

Standing in the heart of the nation’s hard-hit foreclosure country, President Obama on Friday rolled out a $1.5-billion mortgage program meant for a handful of states, including California and Nevada, that have endured waves of home foreclosures during the recession.

The president also used the moment to give a needed boost to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s reelection chances, crediting him with helping stave off a depression over the last year.

Obama spoke to 1,800 people at a town hall-style event as part of a two-day Western swing in which he raised money for Democrats and campaigned for two senators facing tough campaigns: Reid and Michael Bennet of Colorado.

The announcement of new steps to prevent home foreclosures was aimed especially at Nevada, which has ranked first in foreclosures for 37 consecutive months. Although the administration has already put forward programs to reduce monthly mortgage payments, officials acknowledged that more relief is needed.

Under the new policy, $1.5 billion that had been reserved for the bank bailout will be rerouted to five states that have seen housing prices drop more than 20% since 2006: Nevada, California, Michigan, Florida and Arizona.

The money will go toward homeowners who have lost their jobs, owe more than their houses are worth or cannot afford to make monthly payments.

After announcing the program, Obama got a standing ovation.

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Tags: Mortgage, mortgage plan