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52 Not long after the Obama administration rolled out its Making Home Affordable (MHA) program in 2009—the umbrella for an array of programs designed to help struggling homeowners get out from under collapsing mortgages and mounting debt— it rolled out the PR. e government-run MHA website features several stories and videos complete with high- key lighting and thoughtful piano soundtracks, of people helped by MHA programs. ere's Curtis and Darlene from Chicago, who entered the program after she became the only source of income and ended up seeing their mortgage bill cut in half. ere's Joseph, a construction worker from Dorcester, Massachusetts, who nearly lost his home until MHA cut his interest from 8 percent to 5 percent. ere's also Laurel from California, Jacqueline from Florida, and a host of others whose shared experiences are live on the government's website. eir stories tell a tale of relief during a time of uncertainty, but not everyone has experienced the benefit of the programs designed to keep homeowners in their homes. Anthe Tskos, a former Houston-area restaurateur who lost her home after she was told repeatedly that she qualified for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), in 2010 found out the hard way that the small print matters greatly when rescuing an underwater home. "If you're looking for someone to tell you a nice story, it's not me," Tskos said. "It's awful. Worst experience we've ever had." Tskos and her husband tried to enter HAMP after a fire destroyed their business and they fell behind on the mortgage they'd held since 2002. ey entered the trial program—a three- month (or more) probationary period in which homeowners pay under HAMP conditions to prove they can handle being in the program—and paid $1,500 per month for six months. "We kept getting told, 'You're qualified; you're qualified,'" she said. "We paid. en we got a 'no.'" A month later, her lender told her the home was not the family's primary residence. "en how did I answer the door?" she asked. ey lost the house shortly after. e family has been renting a house and trying to get back on their feet, but the business is gone and her experience with the HAMP process has left a lingering bad taste. "I wouldn't recommend it to anybody," she said. What she didn't know hurt her. One thing Tskos would recommend is an in-person education program for programs like HAMP. "I wish they would walk people through it step by step, not over the phone," she said of the process. "You talk to somebody different every day." Tskos's story is not unique. While the MHA programs have offered relief to millions of C O V E R S T O R Y / S C O T T M O R G A N 52 HAMP AND HARP STRUGGLE TO MEET GOALS.