State housing officials have drafted a plan on how they will use $19.6 million in federal funding to ease the effect of home foreclosures in Utah.

The draft was posted Thursday on Utah's Housing Web site and is available for public comment until Nov. 30. The plan will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Dec. 1. Fifteen city, county and local

organizations are vying for part of the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program Fund.

The draft highlights no specific projects for funding. The state's Division of Housing and Community Development ensures money will only assist projects serving people who make 120 percent of the area median income or less. And 25 percent of all grant money will be dedicated to those making less than 50 percent of the area median income.

More than 9,000 Utah homes were foreclosed this year; the majority are in Salt Lake, Utah, Washington, Weber and Davis counties.

The draft can be downloaded at housing.utah.gov. To submit a comment, contact Keith Heaton at kheaton@utah.gov, call 801-538-8732 or write to 324 S. State St., Suite 500, Salt Lake City, UT, 84111.

- María Villaseñor

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