WASHINGTON - Governors from across the United States, including New York’s Eliot Spitzer, called on the Bush Administration to deliver a comprehensive solution to the ongoing mortgage crisis. As more Americans lose their homes, the governors have taken actions and stand ready to partner with the federal government to deliver critical relief to homeowners in need.

The governors, who are in Washington for the annual National Governors Association Winter Meeting, said federal efforts have failed to offer substantive relief to the majority of distressed homeowners.

The governor present said the two plans offered by the Bush Administration fall short of delivering a comprehensive solution because they exclude the majority of homeowners who need help. One plan includes only homeowners who are at least 90-days delinquent but who are not within 30 days of home sale in the foreclosure process, while the other makes no provisions for homeowners who were more than 30 days in default, close to foreclosure, or who have entered the foreclosure process (therefore helping only 15 to 20 percent of those in need).

The Administration’s proposed rate freeze does not make clear who would qualify for the freeze, the state officials said. In addition, the request for mortgage providers to work with homeowners was not coupled with any reporting system to monitor participation and efficacy. While the plans are steps in the direction of addressing the problem, they do not offer real guidelines for what types of modifications or workouts will be offered to homeowners -- guidelines that experts believe would ensure a higher success rate, the governors said.

In addition to demanding a comprehensive plan, the Governors are calling on the federal government to deliver meaningful financial assistance to communities and borrowers. The Administration should also take responsibility for the role of federal regulators and national banks in this crisis, and engage in greater collaboration with states in the development of a solution to this problem and a preventive strategy for the future.