The Illinois Hardest Hit Program, which provides financial assistance to qualifying homeowners who are having trouble making their mortgage payments because they have lost their job or are underemployed, has helped approximately 4,000 Illinois homeowners so far, according to an article in the State Journal-Register.

About 25 new families are entering the program every day, said Mary Kenney, executive director of the Illinois Housing Development Authority, which administers the Illinois Hardest Hit program. In all, Illinois can utilize $345 million in federal funds to aid troubled homeowners.

“The goal is to have all the resources available — legal assistance, one-on-one counseling,” Kenney told the newspaper. “The more people continue to struggle, we’ve seen more and more programs announced, and it is quite difficult for the average homeowner to navigate the resources.”

In other news:

The Housing Market is Coming Back – Newsweek

Five Reasons Why Buying a Home is Still a Good Idea – Quad-Cities Online

Get a Picture-Perfect Home Sale – Wall Street Journal