Obama’s housing scorecard – Jul. 8, 2011.The Obama administration has announced yet another initiative to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. Earlier this week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it would extend the period of time unemployed homeowners with Federal Housing Authority-backed mortgages could skip or make smaller mortgage payments to a minimum of 12 months, up from a minimum of four. A 12 month forbearance will give struggling homeowners a substantially greater chance of finding employment before they lose their home,” he said. Under the program, borrowers are expected to make up the skipped payments once they return to work.