The United States government was initially slow to respond, failing to recognize the magnitude of house of cards (pun intended) that was about to collapse. Eventually, several housing/foreclosure assistance programs, along with their requisite acronyms, were gradually rolled out over time.

Not a single one, or all of them in combination, however, have had their intended impact on recovery. Not yet, anyway.

In fact, in a recent Gallup Poll, 58 percent of Americans want the government to do more to prevent additional foreclosures. In contrast, 34 percent of Americans are against increasing government intervention and prefer that “housing market resolve its problems in its own.”

The complete study, which you can view right here, is more detailed, drawing distinctions between political parties, annual incomes and college graduates.

The good news is that Gallop reports that collective confidence about the national economy, as well as the job outlook, is on the rise. And well all know, people must have jobs and earn incomes to be able to afford houses.

That’s something that just isn’t happening right now, with only 66 percent of those polled owning their primary residences. That ties a 66 percent all-time low.

To read more about the government-backed foreclosure/housing assistance programs — HAMP, HARP, 2MP and HAFA — currently in place click here.

Many Americans are taking the Foghat approach to living these days, unable (or unwilling) to meet their monthly mortgage obligations and, in the process, living rent-free until theirs lenders evict them from their homes.

And with the average distressed homeowner able to live like this for nearly two years (674 days) it’s actually emerged as a popular “strategic” move because of the economic hardship plaguing millions throughout the nation. Indeed, according to a recent CNN Money report, nearly 40 percent of homeowners in default have not paid their lenders a single penny throughout the entire foreclosure process.

The other 60 percent in distress have made some sort of payment(s), ”looking for ways to make good with lenders and get their homes back.”

So how is it possible to live in a home for so long without paying a mortgage?

Well, first, there is the fact that the United States is in the midst of a terrible housing crisis — one of the worst ever.

Foreclosures are abundant, lenders are overwhelmed, robo-signing scandals are rampant, court rooms are beyond clogged with cases. All these conditions, and several others, add up to the foreclosure process taking much longer than it should.

But, that’s not all.

In states like Florida, where foreclosure can take more than three years or longer to complete, and elsewhere homeowners — along with their throng of foreclosure attorneys — have a few tricks up their sleeves to delay foreclosure even longer.

Among the many stall tactics:

• Challenging the bank’s actions
• Waiting to file paperwork right up until the deadline
• Requesting the lender dig up original paperwork
• Declaring bankruptcy ( in some extreme cases)

Meanwhile, the homeowners live rent-free for literally years, saving money and, in some cases, even making it by renting out rooms to friends and relatives, among others.

All the while, holding out hope that a resolution can be hatched that will help them stay put before the local Sheriff comes a knocking, demanding that they vacate the premises.

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The heated battle between Main Street vs. Wall Street has taken another twist, with the grassroots “Occupy” movement shifting its focus to the nationwide housing crisis.

In particular, protesters have vowed to help families who have lost their homes to foreclosure by taking the vacant properties back. It’s been described as a “natural next step” in the fight to highlight the alleged excesses and abuses of the United States financial system.

In addition to moving displaced/distressed families back into their homes, which is illegal because they no longer own them, the Occupy movement has vowed to “disrupt” public foreclosure auctions throughout the nation.

Still looking for ways to cauterize the nationwide foreclosure crisis, the Barack Obama-led administration today announced another plan aimed at keeping roofs over the heads of unemployed homeowners. The latest effort is available to out-of-work homeowners who have FHA-insured loans, which is about 3,500 borrowers a month, according to the Los Angeles Times.

To put that into more perspective, the report indicates that “only 10% of some 50 million mortgage loans outstanding nationwide are backed by the FHA.”

The good news is that mortgage servicers who participate in the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) will be required “whenever possible” to extend the program to distressed homeowners who qualify for the federal loan modification program, adding about another 1 million or more into the mix.

However, the HAMP candidates who qualify for the year-long forbearance could have the 12 missed payments tacked back onto their mortgage balance once they are on solid financial footing.

The report indicates that several “hurdles” are being lifted to qualify for the program, making it easier for unemployed homeowners to qualify for the assistance.

If you’re unemployed and would like to learn more about this latest foreclosure assistance program and others click here.

But in the case of a 45-year-old distressed homeowner from San Diego, Calif., he likely took his pending foreclosure case way too far.

He seems to have gone over a cliff, actually.

The unidentified individual apparently “created a phony court document and signed a judge’s name” to avoid foreclosure on his Mission Valley home, according to the Los Angeles Times. It appears that the name of the judge who he used was real, however, he sent the forged documents to the lender in regard to a civil suit that didn’t even exist.

Talk about poor planning.

The good news is that he struck a plea deal with the prosecutor under which he would not ask for a jail sentence more than 90 days. The bad news is that the judge who rules on the case doesn’t have to agree and can sentence him to a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Hopefully, he’s not golfing buddies with the judge whose name was forged. Eek.

The program connects distressed homeowners with cash-laden investors (referred to as “Angels”), facilitating short sales to avoid foreclosure situations. But the sale is only temporary.

That’s because the “Angels” then rent the properties back to the original owners at reduced price. And when the homeowners are back on their feet financially, they have the opportunity to buy back their homes for much less than what they originally owed.

It’s a “win-win” solution that AZFamily.com illustrates in the following example:

“… a homeowner bought a home for $419,811 paying $2700 per month for the mortgage. The investor purchased the home for $175,000 and then rented the home back for $1750 per month. This was a significant savings to the homeowner who was experiencing difficult economic times. Then in two to four years, the homeowner is able to buy back their house and in the above situation did so for $232,925.”

Can’t beat that. HAMP, HAFA and the rest of “Making Home Affordable” certainly can’t. Not now, anyway.

For more on “Housing Angels” – especially if you’re a distressed Arizona homeowner interested in assistance — be sure to visit the organization’s website right here.

Losing a home to foreclosure can be devastating.

Heaping helpings of financial stress and truckloads of uncertainty about what the future holds can break people down and even tear apart families.

U.S. News and World Report today provides seven helpful tips to help distressed homeowners cope under these emotionally-charged circumstances.

Check them out:

1. Consult proper counsel
2. It’s not your fault
3. Think long-term
4. Reduce other financial stress
5. Understand the steps of foreclosure
6. Talk about it
7. Move on

The common thread weaved throughout the entire article is to understand that “you are not alone.” Indeed, a record number of homeowners have lost their homes to foreclosure in recent days, months and years, picking up the pieces and starting fresh elsewhere.

Life goes on — it’s up to you to make the best out of a bad situation rather than let it continue to consume your existence.

For a more detailed description of the seven stress-relieving steps listed above be sure to read the entire article right here.

It’s no secret that the $75 billion government-sponsored loan modification program, Making Home Affordable, has fallen short of expectations since its introduction two years ago.

As of the end of Jan. 2011, there had been about 550,000 permanent modifications made nationwide, according to the January Housing Scorecard. That’s good news for some, but bad news for many when compared to the program’s original goal of preventing 3 million to 4 million foreclosures.

The Treasury Department recently admitted that the foreclosure prevention program will probably never attain the original goal that it set back in 2009.

Based on this lackluster performance, there is a movement among Republicans in the nation’s capital to put an end to Making Home Affordable, which they say would save about $1.4 billion and result in 100,000 fewer loan modifications subsidized by taxpayers, according to NASDAQ.com.

In fact, there is a bill currently on the table that would do just that and it is expected to be voted on later this week.

But White House officials are basically saying don’t waste your time because President Obama would never let that happen. Why?

Because Making Home Affordable “is still benefiting tens of thousands of borrowers every month” and it is “important to the nation’s sustained economic recovery.”

Stay tuned to see how this stalemate unfolds.

For ore information and details on the various foreclosure prevention programs offered under Making Home Affordable click here.