Washington Mayor Introduces Program To Help Residents Affected By Shutdown Pay Mortgages

Washington, DC is starting a new $9 million program to help its residents who are affected by the partial shutdown of the federal government pay their mortgages, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Wednesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd January, 2019) Washington, DC is starting a new $9 million program to help its residents who are affected by the partial shutdown of the Federal government pay their mortgages, Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Wednesday.

"Today, we are introducing a temporary loan program for people who may not be able to make their mortgage payments this month," Bowser said at the US Conference of Mayors meeting in the nation's capital.

The federal government has been partially shut down since December 22 as a result of a dispute between President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over funding for building a wall on the US border with Mexico.

Trump has asked Congress to authorize $5.7 billion to build the border wall, but Democrats have refused to meet the demand.

Bowser said that about 70,000 residents of Washington, DC have been furloughed because of the shutdown.

"We know that some of those 70,000 people have missed one check and will miss another one this week and will begin to experience very significant financial difficulties with their homes," Bowser said.

The current government shutdown is the longest in US history, affecting some 800,000 federal workers.