Lisa McKenzie was overwhelmed last October when she shared the circumstances that threatened to take away the home where she's raising her seven children.
"I fell behind on my mortgage due to the passing of my father," she explained.
McKenzie was trying to get back on track with new mortgage terms, but she was also behind on her water bill, and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency told her that because of new federal rules, she couldn't get a new mortgage until the water bill was paid.
PHFA helps families with affordable housing, including restructuring about 500 loans a year in the city to help low-income homeowners avoid Sheriff's sale, but federal rules required that the families first settle all other debt secured by their homes.
As McKenzie struggled to get out of debt, her house was scheduled for Sheriff's sale.
But after months of lobbying by advocates, PHFA director Brian Hudson says he'll work with McKenzie and about 20 others in similar situations to keep them in their homes.
"We're not going to proceed with foreclosure on any of them until we review each one on a case by case basis. So temporarily, there's a moratorium on any type of foreclosure till we can come up with some sort of solution," Hudson said.
For McKenzie, it's a sea change.
"I feel great. I actually just got the paperwork from the mortgage company to sign on the agreement," she said.
With the new loan, she says, she's sure she can turn things around.
Hudson is retiring after 40 years with the agency but says his successor has been briefed and will carry out the plan.