Americans caught up in the foreclosure crisis can now apply for relief from the Obama Administration's new "loan modification plan."
"The Obama administration's foreclosure prevention program is open for business.
The multipronged fix calls for companies to help as many 4 million struggling borrowers by modifying loans so monthly payments are no more than 31% of monthly gross income. Separately, homeowners who haven't missed a payment can refinance into lower-cost loans even if they have little or no equity. This is expected to help up to 5 million homeowners.
The $75 billion loan modification plan will provide incentives to borrowers and loan servicers and investors to spur mortgage modifications. The government will also subsidize interest rate reductions to get borrowers to affordable monthly payments."
FULL STORY: Obama foreclosure fix open for business
Quantifying the Impact of Pandemic Housing Assistance
The massive federal injection of funding into housing programs has had major impacts on many Americans’ ability to stay housed and out of debt, but fears loom as the end of some funding sources nears.
New Jersey Bill Would Ease the Path to Homeownership for Low-Income Families
A bill passed by the New Jersey state legislature would discourage investors from buying and flipping homes while giving households that have experienced foreclosure first bidding rights on auction properties.
Map of Pandemic Real Estate Risk Focuses on New Jersey, Illinois, California
A new study evaluates county-level foreclosure risk, underwater home values, and more real estate market data after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
