Nov. 18 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. homeowners are dropping out of the Obama administrationâs foreclosure prevention program at a faster rate than they are joining it, according to figures released today by the U.S. Treasury Department. Borrowers aided by the Home Affordable Modification Program grew to nearly 520,000 in October, up 23,750 from a month earlier, the Treasury said in its monthly report. The increase was less than five percent. A total of 36,300 borrowers have dropped out of the plan for failing to make their payments, an increase of 24 percent from a month earlier. At a congressional hearing earlier in the day, lawmakers said HAMP, which pays lenders to modify loans and reduce monthly payments for struggling borrowers, isnât doing enough to help homeowners falling behind on their mortgages amid high unemployment and depressed real estate values. âItâs safe to say that HAMP isnât meeting its goal of preventing foreclosures,â Representative Maxine Waters, a California Democrat, said at a House Financial Services subcommittee hearing after the Treasury provided a preview of the report. The Treasury and the Department of Housing and Urban Development issue monthly progress reports on HAMP, a $50 billion program authorized by Congress in 2009. The program was targeted to reach more than 3 million homeowners by paying mortgage servicers $1,000 to rewrite loan terms and $1,000 annually as long as the borrower participates, up to three years. Foreclosures Outpace Modifications The 520,000 homeowners helped by the plan since it was launched in March 2009 contrast with high rates of foreclosure, even among the most creditworthy borrowers. http://noir.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aArQIUM1VveM I like US red herrings...Generous gestures towards Ireland and at home everything "down under"...when will the US of A be foreclosed ?
I was going to ask where are all these people living but the rental vacany rate to judge by the stats from the link are quite high, Vancouver, Canada is said to be 2.2 which is the high end of its historical average http://northwestapartmentinvestor.blogspot.com/2010/11/portlandvancouverbeaverton-apartment.html national US vacancy rate fell to 7.2 in the 3/4 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN0521475920101006