HOPE for Homeowners: Too Little, Too Late

Heyward argues that the HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008 is too little, too late for the many homeowners who faced foreclosure in 2007 and the three million homeowners who are predicted to default. Given the significant barriers to success, it is unlikely that the program will prevent a significant number of foreclosures or that it will stabilize the mortgage market. Providing help to 400,000 homeowners is simply not enough, given the magnitude of the problem. The housing market is plagued by 12 million homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth. The problem is compounded by the record number of defaults resulting in foreclosures that lead to even further declines in home values. More comprehensive legislative solutions are sorely needed, and those solutions need to address the current market conditions and the lack of regulation that led to them.