Ohio launches $460K study of foreclosure impacts

11/24/2013

COLUMBUS — Ohio has joined a multi-state study of the social, health and economic effects of recent federal efforts to prevent foreclosure among the unemployed.

The Ohio Housing Finance Agency received one of six grants nationally provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. It will evaluate the effectiveness of federally-funded mortgage payment assistance for jobless homeowners.

The foundation provided a total of $2.8 million for its How Housing Matters initiative, aimed at assessing housing’s impact on children, families and communities. Ohio’s grant was $460,000.

The study will mainly focus on the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, which provided financial assistance to families in states most impacted by the downturn of the housing market.

Ohio received $570 million from that fund for its Save the Dream Ohio program.