McCain turns to economy with housing, job proposals

By Jeff Mason

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain, criticized by his Democratic rivals for being soft on economic issues, lays out a set of proposals on Thursday to address the U.S. housing crisis and ease the burden of unemployment.

McCain, an Arizona senator who has wrapped up his party's nomination to run for the White House in the November election, will propose a system that allows struggling homeowners to "trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan that reflects the market value of their home," according to excerpts of the speech seen by Reuters.

"People decide if they need help, they apply for assistance and, if approved, the government under my HOME Program supports them in getting a new mortgage that they can afford," he says.

The houses involved will have to be people's primary residence and eligibility will require that they be able to afford new mortgages, he says.

The program would result in homeowners having a 30-year mortgage and an equity stake in their home, while the new lender would receive a federal guarantee of the mortgage.

His comments come a day after President George W. Bush proposed expanding a program to help homeowners meet mortgage payments while Democratic lawmakers pressed ahead with a broader plan, setting the stage for a political showdown over how best to aid the housing market.

Democratic candidates Barack Obama, a senator from Illinois, and Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York, also have laid out housing plans and accused McCain of ignoring the problem.

Bush approved a plan that would insure mortgage loans for homeowners who may have missed payments, were facing the prospect of higher interest rates, and whose homes had decreased in value.