Since the housing bubble burst dramatically in 2008, and unemployment soared, lenders have been trying to ease the pain of those jobless homeowners who were suddenly saddled with impossible debt. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began offering, and then extending, temporary reprieves from mortgage payments. But for many, that simply delayed the problem, and home counselors cautioned that a real solution had to be long-term.

Partnering up with a reemployment agency might be just the fix. During the program's trial period last year, 11 of the 28 participants found work by the end of the six months -- a success rate of 40 percent.