Another element of the program is meant to temporarily reduce the payments of borrowers who are unemployed. Additionally, the government will encourage lenders to write down the value of loans held by borrowers in modification programs to make their mortgages more affordable.

The escalation in aid comes as the administration is under rising pressure from Congress to resolve the foreclosure crisis, which is straining the economy and putting millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes. But the new initiatives could well spur protests among those who have kept up their payments and are not in trouble.

At a White House briefing, officials emphasized that no new taxpayer money would be used for the programs. Instead, funds to provide incentives for loan servicers to participate would be drawn from the $50 billion allotted to housing in the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

Officials said they expected the new initiatives, combined with the government’s existing programs, to help three to four million distressed homeowners over the next few years.

In its statement, the Treasury said the initiatives were intended to “balance the need to help responsible homeowners struggling to stay in their homes, with the recognition that we cannot and should not help everyone.”

The early reaction to the program among housing groups was largely positive.

“Today is an important step forward for homeowners, who will now have more options to retain homeownership,” said Faith Schwartz, executive director of HOPE NOW, an industry-created alliance of mortgage servicers, investors, counselors and other mortgage market participants.

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