Las Vegas NowMore Unemployed Losing Their Houses

More Unemployed Losing Their Houses

The foreclosure mess started with families who took out loans they couldn't afford. But the crisis has evolved into people who were laid off being forced into foreclosure.

Some people say unemployment benefits just aren't enough for people to make their house payments. In fact, they say it's barely enough to put food on their table.

These aren't people who got in over their heads with high interest loans, but people who've lost their jobs and are now losing their homes.

Maria Higgins is one example. She's now trying to update her unemployment status. She has a master's degree in business and finance and is a homeowner. She's done everything by the book, but may possibly add to the escalating numbers of foreclosures in Nevada. "You're left in limbo. It has nothing to do with the loans. This is where it is for an average middle class American family -- this is where we are," she said.

Higgins is one of at least 120,000 Nevadans who on unemployment. Eventually the benefits will expire, forcing even more to lose their homes.

Mae Worthey with the state Department of Employment says a person can collect unemployment for up to 79 weeks. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who have exhausted all of their extensions and now have no more options of recovering more benefits," she said.

Sonny Alderson depends on her unemployment check, but it's nowhere near the money earned when she was working. "I just got a 12 month extension. They give you $25 more to claim, which is nice. That's $370 max a week," she said.

She say every little bit helps. "Just to get by enough to pay the rent," she said.

There have been four extensions by national leaders extending unemployment benefits, but for some like Higgins and Alderson, it comes down to either eating or paying the mortgage.