Fewer than 5% (10,000) of homeowners who completed trial periods as of October had their mortgage payments permanently lowered to more affordable levels. It appears the Obama administration’s mortgage relief plan may be stalled do to bureaucratic factors.

Only one in three homeowners who have signed up for the Obama administration’s program plan have actually sent back the necessary paperwork.

The program was does not appear to be working and foreclosures continue to rise. More than 14% of homeowners with a mortgage are either late on their payments or in foreclosure.

The program provides financial incentives for mortgage companies and investors to reduce loan payments to affordable levels for financially troubled borrowers. But it often provides little relief to borrowers who have lost their jobs or who owe far more than their homes are worth.

Obama administration officials said they are working with state and local groups to assist borrowers with the paperwork.

Mortgage industry executives say homeowners simply are not complying with the program’s requirements, despite their best efforts to reach out.