Governor Ed Rendell on Wednesday met with Philadelphia residents in the Logan section who avoided foreclosure thanks to a program available to Pennsylvania residents.

At the Northwest Counseling Service on North Broad Street, many area residents -- who were in danger of losing their homes -- credit the service for linking them to the home emergency mortgage assistance program or HEMAP.

Among them, Erica Ford of Nicetown who is a mother of three. She was laid off from her job after buying a home about a year ago:

"I would be homeless if it wasn't for the program. Quite frankly, because I had no other options, you know, no where else to turn."

She was able to make reduced monthly payments while staying in her home.

Governor Rendell says the program has already helped 2,200 Pennsylvania residents.

"It's something that is designed to help working people who have lost their job, and its designed to save the state money because if a family loses their home and they become homeless, that is going to be a financial burden on some government agency. The HEMAP program actually expands less in dollars that it will cost the government to house or feed that homeless program."

For more information visit, www.HereToHelp.pa.gov