When President Barack Obama visited Green Valley High School in February, he announced a new $1.5 billion fund to help jobless homeowners nationwide avoid foreclosure. The announcement was most welcome in Southern Nevada, which was hit with both high unemployment and record foreclosure rates in the midst of the worst economy since the Great Depression.Those problems have not gone away. Nevada now has the nation's highest unemployment rate, and the number of home foreclosures in this state continues to be intolerable. Thankfully, the president remains attuned to the plight of struggling Americans and has followed up his concerns with more action.

His administration Wednesday announced that it will add $2 billion to its Hardest Hit Fund to assist jobless homeowners through housing finance agencies in Nevada and other states that have suffered the most during the recession. An additional $1 billion will be directed through the Housing and Urban Development Department for eligible homeowners who will be able to borrow up to $50,000 interest-free to help pay mortgages for up to two years. Beefing up the Hardest Hit Fund will mean an additional $34 million in assistance for homeowners through the Nevada Housing Division.

"Nevada is still on the road to recovery and every investment we can make is a necessary investment," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, said after the administration's announcement. "This money is going where it makes the most difference. It will help Nevadans who have lost their jobs, through no fault of their own, and now face losing their homes. As we continue to turn the tide toward recovery, funding that supports unemployed homeowners and gives them the option of zero-interest loans that could save their homes is more important than ever."

Our hope is that the money earmarked for Nevada will be distributed without a hitch for immediate relief. We also think it is crucial that the Obama administration continue to monitor joblessness and foreclosures in Nevada and other hard-hit states to make sure the money is making a difference. If not, more relief will be needed to prevent the foreclosure problem from getting worse.

It is also important that Congress continues to work on ways to spur employment by helping businesses secure bank loans necessary to retain existing jobs and add new ones. Reid and fellow congressional Democrats have proposed many potential solutions to unemployment but continue to face stiff opposition from Republicans who offer no sound alternatives and simply want the Obama administration to fail.

Until Republicans show a willingness to help solve the problems that have created joblessness and foreclosures, the administration will have no choice but to continue sending emergency financial assistance to Americans who desperately need it.