Congratulations Illinois and Ohio homeowners! Sorry Washington homeowners – you lose!

Washington homeowners will receive no part of the round number #3 of “Hardest Hit” funds, which includes a disbursement of $2 billion recently committed from TARP funds to help homeowners in Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C.

The Hardest Hit Fund draws on the total $45.6 billion set aside for housing in the TARP program; the TARP program started in the fall of 2008.

Ohio announced that it would use its $172 million share of the $2 billion to aid 15,356 homeowners by helping bring delinquent mortgages current for owners experiencing hardship because of a loss of income. The assistance will last up to 12 months, according to the report by NY Times reporter David Streitfeld on August 12, 2010.

In addition to losing out in round #3, Washington state also lost out in rounds #1 and #2 of the Hardest Hit Fund.

Round #1 contained a grant of $1.5 billion in the fall of 2008 to Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, and Nevada.

Round #2 contained a grant of $600 million to North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island and, South Carolina.

Information for this blog post appears thanks to an article by Mr. David Streitfeld of the NY Times. Please see the August 12, 2010 issue, page B-1.