Why aren't more troubled homeowners seeking assistance?

HUD Secretary Says Programs Are Ineffective
Two government programs intended to help hundreds of thousands of borrowers avoid foreclosure are having negligible effects, a top Bush administration official acknowledged Wednesday. One program will be revamped immediately, and the other possibly in the near future.
“The response has not kept up with the need,” Steven C. Preston, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said to the National Press Club. “Many Americans who should be getting help are not getting help.”

The FHASecure program announced in August 2007 has helped only about 4,000 delinquent borrowers, Mr. Preston said. The other, Hope for Homeowners, has received just 111 applications from distressed homeowners since it was introduced on Oct. 1. He outlined changes intended to encourage more participation in the Hope for Homeowners program.

Under the new rules, lenders would be allowed to take a smaller loss. New loans can be made for 96.5 percent of the home’s current value, rather than the previous 90 percent. Even with the changes, borrowers would still have to pay back half of any appreciation to the government if they sell the house or refinance."

Bizarre. Thanks, Dana Dukelow, for this article. Why aren't more distressed homeowners seeking assistance?