The number of U.S. homeowners who have stopped making mortgage payments is surging under the federal government’s new forbearance program, according to a survey from the Mortgage Bankers Association.
The percentage of loans in forbearance grew to 2.66% as of April 1, according to the MBA’s Forbearance and Call Volume Survey. On March 2, the rate was 0.25%. For loans backed by Ginnie Mae, which serves low- and moderate-income borrowers, the rate jumped to 4.25%.