The government ""recently ramped up its efforts to help troubled homeowners"":http://dsnews.comarticles/white-house-adds-underwater-unemployed-assistance-to-housing-program-2010-03-26, but according to a recent opinion poll by Destin, Florida-based ""Housing Predictor"":http://www.housingpredictor.com/index.html, that's not what the majority of people want.
[IMAGE]Despite the impact it would have on the U.S. economy, 78 percent of those polled said they want the government to let home foreclosures run their course instead of making efforts to stop the crisis.
[COLUMN_BREAK]Housing predictor said its poll clearly demonstrates the public's growing frustration and anger related to the nation's troubled economy. The company, which provides independent housing market forecasts, also said the poll shows that the sympathy for those undergoing foreclosure is waning.
More than 5 million homeowners have already been foreclosed in the crisis, and another 13 million homes are at risk of foreclosure, Housing Predictor said. According to government officials, each foreclosure damages the U.S. economy an average of $250,000.
As a result, a series of government programs have been instituted to curtail the foreclosure crisis and aid the housing market in its recovery. Despite these efforts, 63 percent of the respondents surveyed said they are not optimistic about the U.S. housing market recovering from its worst downturn since the Great Depression.
The online poll was conducted over a two-week period.