US Lawmakers Tout New Help for Struggling Homeowners

Two US lawmakers from Pennsylvania were at the headquarters of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project on North Broad Street today, to let homeowners know about a nationwide, $1-billion "homeowner's relief" fund.

KYW's Hadas Kuznits reports that  Rep. Chaka Fattah, accompanied by Democratic colleague Sen. Bob Casey, told a group of homeowners that programs are no good unless people know about them:

"We're talking about it now because we just passed a national program to replicate this nationwide in all 50 states, and with an infusion of a billion dollars of additional resources that will be made available upon need."

Fattah says the fund was based on a Pennsylvania program he helped create 27 years ago.  What are the requirements?

"You have to have lost your job by no fault of your own or meet one of the other criteria (such as) a healthcare problem. And the federal guidelines will be $50,000 over two years."

He says it's important to get the word out that there is help available for those having a difficult time paying their mortgages or struggling with foreclosures:

"It's wonderful to pass programs into existence, but if they're not utilized then they really don't meet the mark."

For more information, you can speak to a housing counselor for free by contacting the Philadelphia Unemployment Project through their web site, www.philaup.org,  or by calling 215-557-0822.