There was a workshop discussion today on affordable housing issues in Southern Orange County, which germinated the seed of an idea that now needs the nourishing hands of many minds (to mix metaphors)…

Is there a way to create spendable sweat equity to keep at-risk homeowners afloat?

As so many people find themselves out of work, or "under-employed," and facing foreclosure, could we create some new mechanism for people to work for the mortgage companies or banks (temporarily even) and apply some form of "sweat equity" toward the mortgage payments they can't currently afford?

Mortgage holders need regular payments. Homeowners need work to create income in order to make regular payments. Can mortgage holders put homeowners to work, and just shorten that value-transfer chain for a win-win solution?

Please comment… (or as the Mike Meyers Coffee-Klatch character says "talk amongst yourselves")